A children’s choir stands on a stage. They are dressed as all manner of zombies, witches, devils and goblins. They sing what seems like a showtune upon first listen, but no, that can’t be right – the words are rife with macabre imagery to bones and graves and, well, zombies. There’s a man standing next to them, and he strums a guitar, singing in a high-pitched voice along with them. And in the front, there’s a movie star with a microphone singing doo-wop over everything. His name is Ryan Gosling. His band is called Dead Man’s Bones.

I’ve listened to their very first (self-titled) album. It collects and blends a number of different influences, including showtunes, gospel, and 1950’s pop classics among so many others my untrained ears can’t identify, but it certainly sounds pretty. A track called Buried in Water is a slow piano piece that evokes a sinking feeling, much like the title implies. A song called My Body’s A Zombie For You almost sounds like a lost 1950’s pop radio hit. My personal favorite, though, has to be Pa Pa Power. Sung by Zach Shields, it has a lush electric melody that stands out against the deeper, “older” feel of most of the rest of the album. Still, it doesn’t break the flow of the album or feel “tacked on” at all, and with the use of electronic pops and a choir of children singing, “We won’t destroy. No, we will not destroy you,” well, in a strange sort of way, it just really sounds amazing.

Dead Man Bones is lo-fi and beautiful. Ryan Gosling proves he’s a capable vocalist, evoking a somewhat “old-time” kind of feel, reminiscent of music from the 1920’s. The two listed members – Gosling and Zach Shields – seem to play their own admittedly sizeable selection of instruments, often “singing out” beats or sounds they either don’t know how to replicate with their respective instruments, or just don’t feel the need to. The background of children’s voices works wonders, as well – they certainly add a spooky ambient in some spots to certain songs, and other times their innocence seems on fully display, shining brightly through the gloom.

Given the nature of the lyrics and the obvious use of gothic archetypes in the music, I’m tempted to say something like, “this is a glorious soundtrack to the spirit of Halloween.” Admittedly though, I don’t think it would be fair to corner the album like that. While I’m sure the record will hold a special significance for this time of the year – as the golden leaves fall from the trees, the breeze picks up and grows a little colder, and we all stand on the precipice of Halloween – it feels like a lot more than just a holiday album. From the slowly rising tide of sound on the opening track, Dead Hearts, on through, Dead Man’s Bones is an inventive album that, although certainly not perfect, is still filled with moments of pure beauty. I know that I’ll be listening to this long after the end of October.

In short, I like it a lot.