Album Review: Ghost Diaries – Ghost Diaries

The eponymous album from Viennese quintet Ghost Diaries could loosely be called post-punk even as it often reaches for other places musically.

That can be immediately heard on opening track Berlin, as that post-punk spine within the arrangement is overlaid with indie rock and a hint of classic rock in the arrangement.

It can also be detected on Science, the subtle political message within the lyrics not hindered by the overt and enjoyable rock expressions of the guitar solos. It’s here too that you get the first full taste of how the vocals work beautifully together: guitarist Alex has a melancholy air, while bassist Betty is more ethereal, yet remains tethered to the reality of the song.

The band are seasoned musicians, and that makes its presence known on Begging You, where their love of Springsteen and classic European rock run free, with what sounds like a glockenspiel adding a hint of the exotic.

What you don’t expect in music that is rooted in post-punk and rock to possess great backing harmonies: on Black and Hold On Tight, you can hear not just that, and also how both vocalists are versatile enough to change their roles within a song. This is a band that is comfortable with the ebb and flow of making music, and it shows.

I wouldn’t class Ghost Diaries as a political album, but it is a very personal album; certainly on Die Trying and Mind Over Matter, where they try to make sense of their place in the world, searching for answers. Both feature keys that bring a gothic meets prog influence into play and reveal the band are willing to take risks; plus possess the ability to pull such diverse ideas into a cohesive sound.

On Too Close, the band paints a gritty picture of homelessness and crime, not from a place of anger, more a plea for others to be heard and accepted. And it reinforces when I say this isn’t a political album; it’s not telling you what to think. It is showing you the way; hopes you follow the right path.

Ordinary Man and Stay round off the album, the former almost a bossa nova with a rock interior that could be the soundtrack to a doomed affair. Stay, by contrast, returns you to the intimate sounds of Berlin, haunting and personal, also as if chronologically following in the wake of Ordinary Man.

As an album, it doesn’t fit into one neat box, thanks to its mix of genres, some of them unexpected and fleeting. That is what gives it such an emotional impact – make sure you stay for the crash – it’s worth the experience.

Ghost Diaries was released on the 24th of April, 2026 – it can be downloaded on Bandcamp and streamed on Spotify. For band news and other listening options, head to the band’s Facebook and Instagram socials.