Ghosts of California

What do you get when you combine two of our best local songwriters with a great rhythm section? Ghosts of California. The band is led by guitarist-singers Scott McChane and Jay Shaner, whose songs are ably supported by bassist Bryce Gonzales and drummer Ed Masi. This CD highlights their great songwriting, especially with the infectious opener “Airplane Window,” which contains a great nah-nah-nah sing-along chorus worthy of a Paul Westerberg. However, it also fairly often sounds simply like McChane or Shaner with a crack backup band. That’s not a bad thing at all, but it’s not a group of musicians together crafting a unique identity either. Given McChane’s and Shaner’s tunefulness, though, it’s a tiny nit to pick. All told, this is the CD to check out if you want to believe in ghosts.