Ola Podrida Ghosts Go Blind

David Wingo is a busy man. In the years since the release of his last record as Ola Podrida,

he's written and recorded soundtracks for several movies including Take Shelter (winner

of the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2011), MUD (starring Matthew McConaughey and Reese

Witherspoon), and Prince Avalanche (starring Paul Rudd and Emile Hirsch and

co-composed with Explosions In The Sky), both of which are seeing wide release this

coming spring/summer. When he had time in between films, Wingo assembled a live band

featuring Colin Swietek on guitars, Matt Clark on bass, and David Hobizal on drums and

began to bring his new songs in to the band. A first for Ola Podrida, the new album Ghosts

Go Blind was recorded to tape in a proper studio, mostly live, with the full band. The

resulting songs are energetic and accessible, while Wingo's abstract narratives are more

personal and intimate than ever.

Throughout the album bittersweet memories of youth are filtered through the nostalgic

eyes of a man starting to accept his adult life for the first time. The album opens with last

guy at the party pleading for someone to stay with him, and keep the revelry going a little

longer. It's an almost cringeworthy desperation, and yet Wingo makes it feel relatable.

The final refrain "It's no fun, being alone at the end" takes on a bigger meaning, giving

you the feeling his friends have grown up and moved on, leaving him to decide how he'll

proceed with his life. By the middle of the album, the character has evolved, now pleading

with his partner again, but this time the goal is to stay home and shut out the world.

Part of what makes this album so satisfying is how elegantly Wingo uses the mundane,

common events of day-to-day life to conjure tales of desperation, resignation, and

reflection. The power of Wingo's storytelling is magnified by Swietek's shimmering riffs

and Clark and Hobizal's alternately propulsive and restrained rhythms. In the end, Ghosts

Go Blind is about finding someone you resonate with and want to grow old with, appreciating the carefree days of youth, and steadying yourself for whatever comes next.

1 Not Ready To Stop
2 Fumbling For The Light
3 Washing Away
4 Blind To The Blues
5 Staying In
6 Ghosts Go Blind
7 Speed of Light
8 Some Sweet Relief
9 The Notes Remain