Mike and Matty from Curtains For You

Like a well-fitted suit or a little black dress (and, some might argue, argyle socks), classic harmony-laden pop never goes out of style.

If you needed a document of that, look no further than the latest offering from Seattle band Curtains For You. Power pop has a cult following for a reason – there's usually a genuine darkness lurking underneath those deceptively sunny melodies, and "After Nights Without Sleep" is exceptional in its exploration of both ends of the spectrum.

Harmonies and heartbreak, the twisted euphoria that comes on after tormented nights with nary a wink of rest – it's all there, waiting to charm those argyle socks right off you. Consider it the latest piece of evidence that our hearts and minds have a more complicated relationship than most people care to admit. Consider it an honest documentation of hoping for the best when you know the worst; of having the courage to look uncomfortable truth right in the eye and hug the living daylights right out of it.

Of embracing life in all its glorious messiness and creating something beautiful.

And make no mistake, "After Nights Without Sleep" is beautiful. Melodies and harmonies abound in undeniably infectious combinations, buoyed by the talents of multiple songwriters who are each others' biggest fans. The camaraderie and charisma are palpable. The songwriting is impeccable. Their socks are pretty good, too. Sartorial status aside, the band's been making some impressive headway in the year and a half since they released their last record, including handpicked slots on sold-out shows with The Posies and The Head And The Heart, as well as making the list of Seattle's Top 10 new artists in City Arts magazine.

So go on – give it a listen. From the opening notes of the impossible-to-remove-from-your-head "Daisy" through the bouncy "What Good Am I Now?," all the way to the sweeping "Wasteland", the jaunty "Bronx Zoo Hobo" and the swooning closer "Photographic Memory," these are songs that are as fun as they are emotional, as dark as they are light. Like argyle socks, it's the contrast that makes them pop – and stand out as genuine classics.

Ghosts I've Met

GHOSTS I’VE MET is the project of Michigan born songwriter Sam Watts.

The group was formed by Watts in Seattle, Washington along with guitarist Ben Blankenship and cellist Brent Arnold both formerly of Modest Mouse. In 2010 they released their first collection of songs, an E.P entitled “Payphone Patience” which featured the drumming of Michael Lerner (The Antlers) and piano work from Darren Jessee (Ben Folds Five). The EP was released on Canadian folk label Yerbird Records.

In 2011 Ghosts I've Met released their first full-length vinyl album also on Yerbird, entitled “From A Spark” which features guitarist Bill Patton (Fleet Foxes, J.Tillman) as well as Jenna Conrad (Damien Jurado). The album was on Seattle’s KEXP radio charts for months and warranted an in-studio performance at the station. In 2011 Ghosts I’ve Met opened shows for Jessica Lea Mayfield, Dolorean, Pearly Gate Music and The Antlers.

In November 2011 the band self-released an EP entitled “The Light Opera” which remained in the top 10 of the charts at Seattle's KEXP for 8 weeks, and spent three of those weeks at #1. This striking collection of songs again features the work of guitarist Bill Patton and Seattle's golden girl drummer Faustine Hudson (Pearly Gate Music, The Young Evils). Recorded in one week in a cabin near Leavenworth, Washington the organic flow and subtle energy reflected on this EP exemplifies the diversity of Watts’ song writing capabilities and the adaptability of the group.

In spring 2012 Ghosts I’ve Met recorded a Daytrotter Session at The Horseshack Studios, the renowned web resource for discovering up and coming indie bands, and on April 13th 2012 NPR named Ghosts I've Met's "Dark Blue Sound" their Song of the Day.

"In 'Dark Blue Sound,' distant but thunderous drumbeats occasionally punctuate the proceedings like raindrops, but Watts' weary, tender words and melodies deliver the clearest devastation — the heartbreaking calm after a turbulent storm." -npr.org

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Curtains For You at Centennial Park with Ghosts I've Met

Friday, August 3 · 7:00PM at Caffè Mela

Free