First Impressions: Ghost of a Problem by Kyle Morgan

At my desk, I primarily listen to music via the barebones Vox app, where I maintain a lengthy list of forthcoming albums and EPs sent my way, Bandcamp purchases, hi-res HDTracks and NYA downloads, plus CD rips from the days of long ago. I click play on an album and let it flow into the next, and then the next after that, with frequent stylistic jumps along the way: A hypnotic pop-rock confessional, for instance, might be followed by a laidback singer-songwriter’s reflections, which might be supplanted by a rollicking funkster’s delights.

Kyle Morgan’s Ghost of a Problem is the middle LP in that setup. At first listen, it’s a laidback Elliot Smith-meets-Neil Young outing with occasional baroque flourishes, a set of songs that works well in the morning, afternoon and night—though not at the gym. The nine-track set opens with the jaunty “The Push,” which finds him speeding down the highway of life in hopes of escaping the wreckage he’s left behind. “Some folks enjoy a glass of wine,” he sings. “Me, I prefer about eight or nine/A minor buzz just ain’t enough….” His furtive glances in the rearview mirror don’t distract from the pothole-laden stretch of road he’s flying down, however; the bumpity-bumpity-bump shaking the car ensures that. “Ghost of a Problem” expands upon that theme, delving into how difficult times stick with us even when we’re clear of them—i.e., maybe the potholes only exist in our mind. “Franklin” ups the electric guitar quotient to nice effect, with the strings reverberating in the best of ways; as with two other songs, “Sprang Break” and “Anything for You,” the lyrics were penned by his ex, the poet Courtney Bush.

“Where to Start” puts into words something many face, I think: not knowing where to begin when dealing with what seems like an overwhelming challenge. “To Be Atoned,” for its part, breezes through like a gentle wind on a summer’s day. “Paper Towel Ballad,” on the other hand, delves into the wreckage he’s hoping to leave behind: his OCD, which makes something as seemingly simple as washing his hands a nightmare.

“Sprang Break” trades in lyrical abstraction, while piano chords drip like undried paint on a canvas. “Darkroom” recalls a college flirtation he rebuffed only, later, to regret it. “Anything for You,” which closes the album, finds him swimming in the deep end of melody—it’s a grand statement that leaves one wanting more.

The album was recorded at Welterweight Sound in New Paltz, NY, with engineer/producer Ryan Dieringer. Morgan handles guitar, piano and synths; he’s supported by Sean Cronin on bass and Rachel Housle on drums. Supplementing the sound: Ali Dineen and Amy Carrigan on backup vocals; Thomas Abbott on bassoon, clarinet and flute; Tiger Darrow on cello; Ginger Dolden on violin; and Pete Lanctot on viola.

In short, Ghost of a Problem is stark, unsettling yet not too dark—Morgan is wry, sarcastic and self-deprecating throughout, honest. Background music it’s not, in other words. It both demands and rewards one’s attention. Recommended.