The FBR explore what haunts them the most on ‘Ghost’

Recommended Tracks: “Empty Room,” “Independence Day,” “Still on the Run”
Artists You Might Like: Grace Potter, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Delta Rae

There is nothing purer than musicians bonding over their love for other musicians. Great things can come from such a shared love, as we see in The FBR. After Malarie McConaha and Tim Hunter found that they both had a soft spot for Leonard Cohen, the two were inspired to create an acoustic-turned-roots and southern rock-project called Famous Blue Raincoat – named after the 1970s Leonard Cohen song. Their songs have, in turn, inspired other musicians and notable industry figures to take an interest and form their own passion for The FBR. For their debut album, Ghost, The FBR teamed up with various musicians to track the album and worked with Grammy-winning producer Jim Scott (Tom Petty, The Chicks) to mix the album, making it not only a labor of love but a team effort all around. The result is an exploration of people, habits, and memories that tend to haunt us time and time again, showing that no matter who we are, we all have ghosts that need to be set free.

Whether people are coming into or out of your life, they tend to linger and float into those unassuming areas of your mind. This concept comes across on “Empty Room,” the slow-burning ballad that examines loss and loneliness. Over the somber piano and guitar, Malarie sings, “I won’t deny all the times that I’ve tried / To turn my back on you / I stumbled in, the ice was too thin / I fought, but I felt through,” acknowledging the inexplicable connection she has with this person. You get the sense that this connection is destroying her and leaving her empty, but on “Set the Anchors Free,” another connection is having the opposite effect. With a more intimate feel than “Empty Room,” this track touches on what it is like to yearn for someone. The FBR set the scene through the lines, “Hearts adrift in the daily grind / Cross like ships on a stormy night / Can we meet like we once met? / Find the flame before we forget?” pinpointing the toll that work or distance can take on a couple. Such strains can bring people closer together or tear them apart, and we hear the latter on “Independence Day.” On this driving, percussion-based track, we hear about drifting away from someone, whether accidentally or on purpose. Accompanied by substantial drums and guitar, the running line of “Might as well have been somewhere else” hits hard, the lack of appreciation that is felt in this situation coming out on top.

As we hear on some of these songs, life can just be too much, getting in the way of what makes sense or what seems right. It can drive us to find new ways to escape, which comes through on “Rain On,” “Bottle of Blues,” and “Deadman’s Highway.” With “Rain On,” The FBR encourage us to “Empty your pockets, pay for all your sins / Work another week and do it over again,” or deal with whatever problems come your way. There is a ferocity and a rock and roll sensibility that comes through, especially when we hear the rejoiceful “Rain on, preach on” in the choruses. This upbeat spirit is also found on “Bottle of Blues,” which counteracts the lyrics. A “drink your problems away” mentality comes up, as we hear in lines like, “Too many bad decisions can put a man up on a shelf / A woman here, a fast care there, either way, I’m gonna lose / Baby, sweet baby, why don’t you pass another bottle of blues?” Still, the merry melodies and rhythms will get you up and dancing, taking your mind off the problem at hand. If you prefer to forget your issues behind the wheel of a fast car, however, then “Deadman’s Highway” would be more your speed. Its unapologetic southern rock sound accentuates lyrics like, “Hit the pedal, don’t you be afraid / Hell’s waiting down the interstate” and “If the law don’t kill me, I know the hard living will,” making it a go-to track for those long drives that help clear your head.

In the end, though, if life does not go the way you plan, there is nothing left to do than to make a change. The FBR bookend the album with “Before I Drown” and “Still on the Run,” two tracks that will inspire anyone to keep going. Adorned with an uplifting acoustic melody and twinkling piano, “Before I Drown” takes us out of a dark place and into the light. Everyone has demons, whether they are old or young, and it is best to “Face the truth / Cleanse the demons from my youth” when you feel as if you have “been running far too long” and your “mind’s been blown.” You can also just up and leave if push comes to shove, which is the idea on “Still on the Run.” The FBR end the album on a positive note with this track, reminding listeners that it is never too late to bring something good into your life, no matter the cost or the odds.

If you are in need of a nice laugh, a good cry, or something in between, Ghost will do more than satisfy. Malarie and Tim expertly mix sounds and stories, capturing the highs and lows of others and of ourselves. In between all the loud and quiet moments are authentic feelings that we all know too well. It can be hard to embrace the more complicated feelings, like guilt or loneliness or regret, but when you do, it can be very liberating. If we can tackle these ghosts, we can recognize and enjoy the present instead of being haunted by the past or by what is to come.