Fantasmes’ “Sidetracked” haunting local fairgrounds with ghost pop.

Fantasmes (French, noun)- a returning or haunting memory or image, it also happens to be the name of the local band that has put out one of the most intriguing sonic endeavors this year.

Brainchild of songwriter Mario Negrón, with the help of Darío Morales-Collazo and Juan A. Arroyo, Fantasmes followed-up their debut album “The Reveller” with the release of their EP “Sidetracked”, released last Thursday on Last Bummer records, alongside the heralds of other-worldly beckonings and shimmery string strumming.

Eschewing the modern machine-gun gatling assaults of modern furious and frenzied rock n’ rollers, Fantasmes combines the dream-pop flavors of the late 80’s/early 90’s and Beatles inspired melodies with folk sensibilities and a twist of trippy garage rock.

The record kicks off with the aptly titled “Banquo’s Ghost”, an ethereal overture filled with walls of delayed guitar goodness and soft and lofty drumming. What follows is a psych-fueled drive through sequences of airy and breathing tracks that will have your head afloat thanks to the help of reverb-drenched vocals, low-end bass thumps and hallowed soundscapes.

Just because the band’s sensibilities gravitate towards a quieter and somewhat more lyrical aesthetic, the album does have sport some intense, yet subtle moments. Tracks grow and expand, as though organisms on their own right, masking climactic moments of haunt under waves of echoes.

Sidetracked manages to balance very well the fluctuations between structure and free-form growth, mixing even-handedly amorphous textures and concrete rhythms. Much like its aural ethos, the eclectic mix of acoustic guitars and pianos go hand-in-hand along with flanging synths and ambient tones, carrying phantasmal hooks with pomp and wonder. The album also makes space for the surreal with the sound collage that is “The Majestic Cytherea”, chock full of nightmarish backward utterances and lo-fi programmed drum loops.

The record wraps-up with the sugary, yet quite eerie, “On Bridge’s End”, complete with a faux countdown and slap-back harpsichord which segues into “Magpie” a more moved and ghostly ditty stuffed with feed-backing, fuzzed-out guitar pummels, driving it all home, and exiting with “AM to Static” a quaint ambient electronic drone, nostalgic of something not fully remembered.

One thing is certain for the album, it requires time. The tracks don’t jump at you or command a sense of urgency on the first listen; it waits among the shadows of its own analog wash and creeps unto you slowly. Though most tracks might feel identical, they all have their moments, which can only be appreciated with further listens.

The album, as a whole, works as both a remembrance and a reverie. A gift that perhaps one would try to trace its source only to find it has no origin. The shades of past pop endeavors do shine, but rarely can the listener point out a distinguishable root. It harkens to some half-remembered past with spectral fondness.

“Sidetracked” is a peculiar kind of experience crafted by our own brand of backyard musicians. The soft-spoken manner of this listen might not be everyone’s cup of tea, and it’s length (clocking at a little over 30 mins.) might frustrate listeners, the albums is visceral yet solid, shaping a rewarding listen to all those willing lend an ear.  Though the album is not quite a classic, Fantasmes has certainly built an ancestral and eerie sound-house, the only thing left is too see if they can haunt it with their next release.

“Sidetracked” is available in digital format at a “name-you-own” price at www.fantasmes.bandcamp.com. For more info on Fantasmes, visit their Facebook and Myspace pages.