Roadkill Ghost Choir Will Bang Their Heads So You Don’t Have To | Live Review | September 13 2014 | The Social Orlando

by Dainon Moody • September 15, 2014

Roadkill Ghost Choir initially came onto my radar for a few reasons. One, they’re from the small dot of a town of Deland, FL. I can name exactly one other band I know from that neck of the woods (the always affable Beartoe). Two, they somehow landed on the Letterman show as his musical guest before they even had a full-length album out.

Color me more than impressed: if another band’s ever accomplished that, I’d like to go ahead and see them live, too.

And three? They sound sort of like Fleet Foxes, were those young Foxes to ever kick their songs in the flanks and discover they can add some a good healthy dose of rock to their folk.*

*Please note: Sounding like the Fleet Foxes isn’t a bad thing, not in the least.

Once I found myself firmly planted in front of their stage on Saturday night at The Social, I realized another part of their equation I’d looked right past somehow: they just had So Much Hair. With one exception (their second guitarist), it was all swinging heads and beautiful locks to go along with their rock and their roll. (I got just the slightest bit jealous at the singer’s waist-length hair. The feeling passed.)

I’ll hold fast to that Fleet Foxes comparison, too (with perhaps the loveliest touch of My Morning Jacket in there, too). It sticks. In the vocals department, that’s how I end up compartmentalizing them. But these are indie sorts that want to tap into the land of rock and do, too, just as much and as often as they can get away with.

It means they’re not against breaking out into all out screaming in the midst of delivering one of their fast favorite songs (“Beggars’ Guild”). It all works. Roadkill Ghost Choir are tight and layered and they go down surprisingly easy. If you’re not careful, you just might trip and fall fast in love with what it is they’re doing.

Roadkill Ghost Choir is still considered new—they’ve just an album and an EP under their collective belts, In Tongues and Quiet Light, both solidly listenable—but they’re hungry. With that hunger comes an urge to prove what it is they can do and are capable of.

If that means they want you to love them in Florida and you don’t already, chances are good you will eventually. If that means they want everyone outside of their hometown to be talking about them, treating the up-and-comers as their shiny new discovery, then they’re already well on their way to succeeding.

Here’s a bit I caught on my Instagram, @gr8dane74.