Stepping out from the shadow of an established band to create solo projects can be an incredibly daunting task. Add a major accident into the mix and you have Justin Courtney Pierre. Making impromptu changes to a schedule he was hellbent on keeping, the Motion City Soundtrack front man released his EP Ghost World.
This is Pierre’s third EP of 2021, following up An Anthropologist On Mars and The Price Of Salt. The original intent was to make his second full-length solo album, yet a devastating concussion in 2020 led to those plans being thwarted. What we have instead is Ghost World, a collection of five songs which delve into feelings of depression, self-deprecation, and not quite fitting in.
Opening with ‘Horse Racing’, we’re left with a mixed reaction. “I don’t know where my head is at” speaks to a muddled mind with no direction. A sentiment many are acquainted with in recent times, that line alone sets the EP up to be somewhat of a comfort. As the song progresses though, it loses focus. Pierre’s vocals get lost within the larger guitars and drums of the chorus. Becoming muddied and blurring together may indeed serve to mirror mixed thought processes, but it throws us into disconnect.
We’re left battling this disconnect throughout the EP. Pierre’s thoughts of being “riddled with expansive doubt” should have made ‘Steady As She Goes’ a moment of understanding and support for us. However, the pitch of the vocals feels out of place, higher than it should have been. An issue we run into again with the intro of ‘Temporary Education’. This offering of vulnerability leaves us feeling indifferent towards its choice in tones. Hints of darker riffs litter the song’s transitions, yet they are short lived, as if we’re being led on.
There are moments where our desires are sated. ‘Steady As She Goes’’ harmonies blend smoothly, creating a buzz in our ear canals we’ve been craving. The lower toned chords for ‘Somewhere A Dark Heart’’s intro tug at the tails of our own inner demons. Those demons turn their heads to us, and the trace of a sinister smile comes in the form of the lilting melody which nestles inside the verses. As we notice the space in this chorus, the full accompaniment comes into focus and pushes the song forwards.
What is frustrating about this EP is the presence of those moments. Pierre knows how to construct a good song and an excellent EP. This knowledge though seems to elide the singer/songwriter for Ghost World. As if the ghost of Motion City Soundtrack still haunts him despite their brief reunion last year. Ghost World feels like a collection of misfires. While it will satisfy anyone who’s looking for a fix of Pierre, that satisfaction doesn’t mean a thirst is fully quenched. As we move away from the EP, we find it doesn’t stay with us for long afterwards. It feels like a phantom passing by in a fleeting moment, which is disappointing.