The Ghost and the Eyes With Trees In the Ground Outside the Window

Many and perhaps most of the releases from the States Rights/Slender Means Society's Pregnancy Series — produced in limited editions of 700 retail copies — seem to be side projects of sorts, geared toward completist collectors of the featured artists. That certainly seems to be the case with this Thanksgiving release. Even though it's described as the combination of "two separate concept EPs," its nine tracks still add up to barely the running time of a full-length album, clocking in at 29 minutes. Though released after Thanksgiving's Welcome, Nowhere album, the recordings actually predate the ones from that record. It's not all that easy to suss out what the concepts of the EPs are, and really, if you like Thanksgiving, you shouldn't worry about it much. For it's the kind of low-key indie pop stuff that Thanksgiving, not to mention uncounted Northwest artists, are known for. Uncharitably, it could strike some as sounding like rough folky Jonathan Richman demos or outtakes, possessed of some the same charm, but lacking the cohesion and focus that Richman brings to even his most offhand projects. Taken for what it is, it isn't bad: it's wistful, slightly haunting material, though it often sounds a little like a guy working out some uncompleted thoughts in his head.