Palm Ghosts “I Love You, Burn in Hell” released today, November 10th, 2023. Moody and modern, dreamy post-punk synthpop via Nashville. Sweet Cheetah / Poptek, Sell The Heart Records. If I had just stumbled across this album rather than put in my pre-order from Palm Ghosts’ Bandcamp page, I would swear its release date was closer to November 10th, 1981. Their highly accurate bio says they are “the sound of an 80s prom in a war zone…More at home in rainy Manchester, the quartet weaves cinematic dream pop and new wave with brooding post punk. Embracing their 80’s idols, like New Order, The Cure, David Bowie, John Carpenter and even Divine, Palm Ghosts take the genre to soaring new heights.” I think it’s their 8th LP (their first came out in 2014) and it’s a really great record and totally appeals to my musical root-love of 80’s synthpop and gothy post-punk. My top tracks are the danceable “She Came Playfully” and “Automatic for the Modern Age.” On those tracks, plus a lot of others, there’s an early 80’s anthemic soaring guitar sound reminiscent of U2’s Edge and Big Country, but darkened with a very heavy Cure, Joy Division and Siouxsie sensibility. “Fault Lines” is another favorite – it’s not quite as dancey (though it does have a great beat) – and I can imagine it, with its sound and lyrics, playing out the credits in a John Hughes film (this is a good thing!). I think what I am especially appreciative of with Palm Ghosts is that the guys in the band are (in my estimation) around my age (we saw them perform the past couple of summers up at Mile of Music in Appleton) – so they heard the 80’s sound in real-time. But the record does not feel nostalgic, instead it expresses their musical roots and that interpretation of the sound 40+ years on.