The title track from the ex
Czars' frontman's second solo outing, the chilly, electro-kissed
Pale Green Ghosts, sounds like a
Brendan Perry (of
Dead Can Dance)-fronted
Kraftwerk taking on a James Bond theme. Like much of the album, it's icy, stylish, pompous, and self-obsessed, which is the direct antithesis, at least sonically, of his previous album, the maudlin, confessional
Queen of Denmark, which was made with the help of wistful Texas folk-rockers
Midlake.
Pale Green Ghosts, on the other hand, was recorded in Reykjavik, Iceland with the help of
GusGus' Birgir Þórarinsson (
Biggi Veira) and while
Grant keeps the microscope firmly on himself throughout the 11-track set, he does so with more wit and panache than he did on the record's predecessor. Populated by slinky electro-pop cuts ("Sensitive New Age Guy" and "Black Belt"), saucy,
Harry Nilsson-esque, chamber pop fight songs (the saucy "GMF," one of two tracks to feature backing vocals from
Sinéad O'Connor), and melodramatic "Return to Oz"-era,
Scissor Sisters-inspired ballads ("Vietnam," "I Hate This Town," and "Glacier"),
Pale Green Ghosts has a little something for everyone, and while all of the over-sharing can be a little overbearing,
Grant's huge, expressive, and oddly comforting voice acts as a sedative, turning even the saddest, raunchiest, and most uncomfortable turn of phrase into a caress.