Yppah They Know What Ghost Know

• Words: Luciana Lopez
• Label: Ninja Tune
• XLR8R Rating: 7/10

Turntablist shoegaze, theoretically, sounds like absolute crap. In practice, though, Joe Corrales, Jr. makes it work, as evidenced by his sophomore album, They Know What Ghost Know, a more rock (and post-rock) affair than his 2006 debut. There's a collage-like aesthetic here, with carefully constructed instrumental layers altering slightly on each iteration as new elements come and go. When the album works, as on “City Glow,” with its creepily manipulated vocal snippets, and the beautifully pensive “Shutter Speed,” it's as emotional as any pop song. But when it doesn't, the music sounds forced, as on “The Moon Scene 7,” where the spacey elements sound like a too-literal attempt to expand on the title.