Vagrant

Ghostory is New York indie band School of Seven Bells’ third album and first without member Claudia Deheza. Now a duo comprised of Alejandra Deheza and former Secret Machines guitarist Benjamin Curtis, the band has veered even further into the electro dream pop territory, creating strange, vast layers of sound. The songs on this record, which follows 2010’s Disconnect From Desire, are compelling and emotionally haunting at times, but at others, the electronic elements create a disconnected, robotic feel. Tracks like “White Wind” and “Show Me Love” aim toward the former, finding an organic, human element in the computerized sounds and interlaced rock instrumentation, aided by Deheza’s airy vocals. Those moments outweigh their colder counterparts. But, anyway, isn’t cool detachment part of making indie rock in NYC?