Ghosts V: Together is one of two instrumental albums released for free by Nine Inch Nails as gifts to everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic. The albums are meant for meditation, reflection, or ambient sounds for study or work or pleasure.
As the title suggests, this album is meant to inspire a sense of belonging despite separation. The titles of the tracks evoke hope and courage. “Letting Go While Holding On,” the album’s opener, is over nine minutes of meditative drones and minimalist percussion and lets us know that releasing our grip on the past is the only way to move forward. “Together” is over ten minutes of ambient sounds that resemble radio static, as if NIN is reminding us of our connection over distant miles as we try to tune in to stations we can barely hear. “Out in the Open” follows, reflecting what we all hope we’ll be soon. Its shiny synths bring to mind images of sunlight breaking through dark clouds.
We can get there “With Faith” – a song that blends simple, soft percussion with chant-like synths. “Apart” is the longest track at thirteen minutes and thirty-five seconds. It’s fitting, as sometimes it seems we’ve been apart during this pandemic for ages and will continue to be that way for the foreseeable future. “Your Touch” brightens things up a bit as it helps us remember the warmth of human contact.
“Hope We Can Again” sums up the mood of a lot of people well. It combines simple music box tunes with simmering synths that reflect a simple warmth that everyone hopes to have again. The closer is “Still Right Here,” which, thankfully, most of us are. We are here, biding our time, seeing changes that are happening and ones that need to be made, and looking forward to coming out to embrace each other, and the upbeat drums of this final track are there to encourage us.
Don’t expect industrial beats, trance floor-fillers, and angry yelling on this album (or the next). This record isn’t made for that. It’s made to calm all of us down. Let it happen.
Keep your mind open.
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