On its third LP, TV Ghost puts a Midwestern spin on British gothic postpunk. The Lafayette, Indiana quintet soaks itself in sounds that belie its relative youth – it’s hard to believe that these dudes were listening to Bauhaus, the Sound and the Comsat Angels when they were toddlers, but Disconnect gives credence to that notion. Brittle guitars ring out and ride a propulsive rhythm section that turns on a dime, all clouded in the finest smoke and incense. Tim Gick howls and moans from some dark dimension, holding on to his sanity while wondering if it’s worth the effort. The rigor mortis tension of “Veils” and “A Maze of Death” contrasts with the gauzy shimmer of “Stranger” and “Elevator,” while the noisy “Others Will Be Born” brings controlled feedback into this hermetically sealed world. Though nothing brings any relief from the discomfort, there’s something awfully satisfying about TV Ghost’s psychedelically sparse manifestation of the black cloud within.
