Conceptually, this is one of the more interesting things out of Baltimore so far in 2008. Recorded by J. Robbins at his Magpie Cage studio here in town and mastered by Brooks Harlan (Avec), Anxiety gets big points for being such a charming DIY output by The Ghostwrite, nee Robby Lester, and for its honest and simple way of pointing out the beauty and irony in every day things.

While the effect on the vocals is grating, the literary voice of the album (inspired by Orwell and the utterly suffocating daily experience) speaks quite intuitively of the voice of our generation. On "Newspeak", Lester points to the MySpace generation's fear of actual connection and the smoke and mirrors tactics of our leaders. Beginning with a simple observation of a bumper sticker, "Bang Bang Bang" goes on to describe with absolute perfection the brief rush of hope one can feel about a random act or experience before that feeling gets buried deep down by the harsh truth of human behavior.

While The Ghostwrite is a man with a guitar, you're not going to find a simple folk singer behind these strings. Lester is a howling banshee on "Heroine" and continues his diatribe against consumerism and corporate culture on "Deflation". Forget about what you thought folk and nostalgia sounded like, this simple release is angry, frustrated, and whispers an angular promise of better things to come from The Ghostwrite. The heart's all there, just focus on technique.

The Ghostwrite is currently out on a massive tour, just one more example of this mysterious fellow's tenacity.  Visit http://www.myspace.com/theghostwrite to see if a show is coming to your town. There will be a Baltimore show on July 9.

Visit this link to purchase the album.

Tags: Album Reviews, avec, Baltimore, Brooks Harlan, J. Robbins, Jawbox, New Releases, The Ghostwrite