| Directions to See a Ghost | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | April 15, 2008 | |||
| Genre | Psychedelic rock | |||
| Length | 70:25 | |||
| Label | Light in the Attic Records | |||
| Producer | Erik Wofford | |||
| The Black Angels chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 68/100 [1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    |
| Blender | |
| Drowned In Sound | (6/10) [4] |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.6/10) [5] |
| PopMatters | (8/10) [6] |
| Prefix Magazine | (9.0/10) [7] |
| The Times | |
| Twisted Ear | |
| World of Music | |
Directions to See a Ghost is the second album from rock band The Black Angels. It was released digitally on April 15, 2008 by Light in the Attic Records. However, it was not until May 13 that the CD and 3xLP were released. Those who purchased the album digitally were given a code to download the album. On or after the date of release, it was to be brought back to the place of purchase in exchange for a hard copy of the album as well as a bonus four-song EP [11] Black Angel Exit. Moreover, Directions to See a Ghost features the song "Doves" also available on the "Doves" single 7" released the same day. Unlike the CD, the 3xLP contains bonus tracks "Surf City (Revisited)" and "Paladin's Last Stand."
Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in the United States in the early 1950s, and developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United States and the United Kingdom. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style which drew heavily from the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock music also drew strongly from a number of other genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and other musical styles. Musically, rock has centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music usually with a 4/4 time signature using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political.
The Black Angels are an American psychedelic rock band from Austin, Texas. They have released five studio albums and one compilation album. Their name is derived from the Velvet Underground song "The Black Angel's Death Song".
Light in the Attic Records is an independent record label that was established in 2002 in Seattle, Washington by Matt Sullivan. The label is known for its roster of reissue projects and for its distribution catalog. Light in the Attic has re-released work Betty Davis, Serge Gainsbourg, Jim Sullivan, Jane Birkin, Monks and The Free Design. The label has also released albums by contemporary bands The Black Angels and Nicole Willis and The Soul Investigators.
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The group signed to the label Suretone, owned by Interscope, for releases after this album.
Prefix called it "an easy candidate for one of the best records of the year". [12]
According to Rolling Stone columnist David Fricke "...tripsters the Black Angels bring the aura of mid-1966 - the drilling guitars of early Velvet Underground shows, the raga inflections of late-show Fillmore jams, the acid-prayer stomp of Austin avatars the 13th Floor Elevators - everywhere they go, including the levitations on their second album, Directions to See a Ghost (Light in the Attic). Mid-Eighties echoes of Spacemen 3 and the Jesus and Mary Chain also roll through the scoured-guitar sustain and Alex Maas' rocker-monk incantations." [13]
Rolling Stone is an American monthly magazine that focuses on popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, who is still the magazine's publisher, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its musical coverage of rock music and for political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. In the 1990s, the magazine broadened and shifted its focus to a younger readership interested in youth-oriented television shows, film actors, and popular music. It has returned to its traditional mix of content, including music, entertainment, and politics.
