Ghosts

Released in 2007, The World Is Outside was the debut album from the London pop band Ghosts. The album presented two contrasting moods, with several uplifting major-key songs providing a refreshing change from the doom and gloom that many of the band's contemporaries regularly played; Ghosts' good-time, happy pop side -- including the exuberant "Stop" and "Over-Analysis" -- was almost reminiscent of the Lightning Seeds. Some of the tracks, like the opening "Stay the Night" with its intro suggesting a cross between rockabilly and ska, almost harked back to the Brit-pop days of the mid-'90s. But several other songs echoed the angst of Coldplay and Keane, especially the swirling "Mind Games" as well as "Something Hilarious" and "Wrapped Up in Little Stars," which were probably the least upbeat tracks on the album. The album ended on a depressing note with the nearly seven-minute "Temporary." Close your eyes and you could easily have been listening to Coldplay. ~ Sharon Mawer, All Music Guide