It wasn’t that long ago that the release of a new Nine Inch Nails album would precede a five-or six-year drought for new material, much to the dismay of the insatiable NIN fan base. Luckily, those days of substance dependency and writer’s block plaguing the artistic efficiency of mastermind Trent Reznor are long gone. On Fe. 16, roughly 10 months after releasing the dynamic Year Zero, a news update on nin.com displayed the words “2 weeks.” Fast forward to the evening of March 2 and, apparently not content with watching his fan base writhing in unbearable anticipation for only two weeks, Reznor posted a final update: “2 hours.” After watching his fans impatiently squirm for a couple more hours, Trent finally filled everyone in.
Ghosts I-IV, a 36-track collection of instrumentals split into four, nine-track subsets, was released for download and CD/vinyl purchase. With the Ninternet on red alert, nin.com promptly crashed as the cult swarmed upon Trent’s latest creation.
Ghosts I-IV is the result of a 10 week experiment where Reznor and several other contributors developed musical accomplices to introspective sceneries, “dressing imagined locations with sound and texture.” Collaborators included past NIN contributors Atticus Ross, Alessandro Cortini and Adrian Belew (King Crimson), as well as Brian Viglione (Dresden Dolls). According to Trent, more Ghosts releases are likely forthcoming.
Trent’s description of the album, a “soundtrack for daydreams,” is very fitting. All 36 tracks are unnamed and improvisational in nature. There is no especially consistent trend in sound among them.
The overall sound of this release is basically a tamed look back on the musical styles of post-Broken Nine Inch Nails. There are a few tracks that feature punchy, grinding synths reminiscent of The Downward Spiral. Many songs contain elegant pianos and atmospherics similar to those that defined Still. The edgier tracks contain exercises in noise and sub-bass droning that have been prominent since The Fragile. Despite being entirely impulsive, everything is tied together nicely.
If you’re planning on listening to Ghosts I-IV in a highly attentive manner, then you might be disappointed. The spontaneous songwriting approach of those involved gives this release a loose, somewhat unfocused feel. Ghosts I-IV may prove to serve better as background music. On the other hand, if you aren’t a NIN fan, this release might be a good starting point to see if this band is something you can learn to appreciate.
The appeal of Ghosts I-IV is more accessible than the deep, brooding nature of other NIN releases, but in doing so limits its overall potential. It isn’t mind-blowing like most everything else Trent has done, but this is still a good release. You will find worse ways to spend $5.
