Album Review: To the Ghosts by Cults

More than 13 years later, the effervescence of their viral megahit "Go Outside" has faded, and from today's perspective, it's already not so evident that they were the ones who brought nostalgia into pop long before Dua Lipa's Future Nostalgia. Looking back, it's safe to say that without their retro yet fresh approach, Tennis, Alvvays, Tops, Haim, Sky Ferreira, Chvrches, Muna, and many other indie darlings would sound completely different today. As The White Stripes charmed millions with their signature mix of rock 'n' roll and trendy garage sound in the early '00s, Cults also found an ideal recipe for teen music of the 2010s by combining then and now sonics.

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There’s a comforting familiarity about the duo’s dreamy, reverb-heavy, art-pop that expertly contrasts light and shade It only seems five minutes ago that Madeline Follin and Brian Oblivion emerged from Brooklyn with an effortlessly hip aesthetic, and an EP that persuaded Lily Allen to sign them to her record label, In The Name Of. It was, in fact, 14 years ago, and in the years since Cults have soundtracked adverts, broke up their own romantic relationship but continued to make music together, and just a couple of weeks, gained the approval of one Taylor Swift when they remixed her Tortured Poets Department collaboration with Post Malone, Fortnight. To The Ghosts is Cults’ fifth album, and was written during the pandemic in Oblivion’s home, before being finished in LA after lockdown eased.

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