The intoxicating debut from
Frozen Ghost commingles Great White North album-oriented rock with a classy new wave chill worthy of their mysterious moniker. Not as artsy as
Duran Duran, not as emotive as
Ultravox, this pair may be the Canadian answer to
Tears for Fears, only better than that sounds. Opening minor hit "Should I See" might as well be
the Fixx, but it's actually brainchild
Andre Lanni establishing his way with ruminating rhymes and mechanical melody. He came from
Sheriff, where he wrote their posthumous smash "When I'm With You" and, after three fine
FG works, went on to become a powerhouse producer (
King's X) and mentor (
Our Lady Peace). Except for the radio number mentioned above,
Frozen Ghost fell off the face of the planet instantly. A shame, as the world missed out on the mysterious stranger lurking in "Yum Bai Ya," the military melancholy of "Soldiers Cry," and "End of the Line," a flat-out great pop tune not related to
the Traveling Wilburys hit of the same period or even the
Roxy Music song (though
Roxy roots appear elsewhere). Actually, every track is rock-solid and probably gone forever, further adding to the mystique of one of the all-time should-have-beens. ~ Whitney Z. Gomes