B-Side Guys

Finnegan Bell stares into mortality and emerges with “Memento Mori,” Love Ghost’s most ambitious and cross-cultural project to date. This seven-track journey blends alternative rock, emo trap, and Latin urban influences into something that defies easy categorization while creating a cohesive sonic identity. Through collaborations with rising Mexican artists and producers, Bell transforms his Los Angeles-based project into a genuinely international conversation about life’s impermanence.

Opening track “DECOY” with Katsu Energy immediately establishes the album’s boundary-pushing approach. Producer Berdu creates a foundation that allows both artists’ distinct vocal styles to interact rather than compete. Bell’s emo-influenced delivery contrasts effectively with Energy’s trap sensibilities, creating tension that serves the song’s themes of false fronts and hidden vulnerabilities. The production balances electronic elements with traditional instrumentation, setting the stage for an album that refuses to be boxed into a single genre.

“Chronicles” stands as the album’s sole solo track, allowing Bell to showcase Love Ghost’s core sound without collaborative filters. The production by Comisarios (Alexey Adrián Quiñones Vargas, Alejando Bolado, and Leonardo Serrano Baudin) incorporates electronic elements while maintaining the project’s rock foundations. This balance creates breathing room within the album’s collaborative structure while reinforcing Bell’s artistic vision. The track’s introspective lyrics demonstrate how Bell’s songwriting has evolved since Love Ghost’s early backyard performances.

“The Monster Inside” features Plata Shail over Otho’s production, exploring internal struggles through both English and Spanish verses. Rather than simply alternating languages, the track weaves them together organically, creating linguistic texture that enhances the song’s examination of identity. The arrangement builds with purpose, each new element supporting the narrative without overwhelming it. Bell and Shail’s vocal interplay creates moments of tension and release that serve the song’s exploration of internal conflict.

The album’s midpoint, “Spiritual Warfare” with DEER, marks a stylistic shift. Producer DOBLE TEMPO creates space for Gillan Sofia Tarin Hasseff’s vocals to interact with Bell’s in ways that suggest conversation rather than mere feature placement. The production balances traditional rock instrumentation with urban elements that reference both artists’ backgrounds while creating something distinct from either. This track particularly showcases how Love Ghost has evolved from their earlier sound while maintaining connection to their musical roots.

“TWOSIDES” with Ardis demonstrates producer Ervin River’s gift for sonic world-building. The track creates atmosphere through careful production choices that support both artists’ exploration of duality. Bell’s verses about internal conflict find perfect complement in Hansa Ardis Medina Anderson’s contributions, creating a song that feels like genuine collaboration rather than assembled parts. The production creates distinct sections that flow naturally into each other, mirroring the song’s themes of contrasting perspectives.

“IMPOSTER” brings together Love Ghost, Young Aleexx, and xkori (who also produces) for the album’s most densely collaborative track. Despite involving three distinct artists, the song maintains focus through production that creates distinct spaces for each voice. The result captures how feelings of fraudulence transcend language and culture while demonstrating how different artistic approaches can illuminate shared experiences. Alex Munoz’s contribution particularly stands out, bringing fresh energy to the project’s exploration of identity and authenticity.

Closing track “SOMEWHERE UP ON MARS” with El Vermumcito (who also produces) synthesizes the album’s various elements into something both conclusive and forward-looking. The production creates cosmic atmosphere that supports the song’s themes of escape and perspective, while the vocal interplay between Bell and Marcos Miguel Kuri Velasco suggests how distance can sometimes provide clarity. The track’s expansive sound creates perfect conclusion to an album that consistently pushes beyond expected boundaries.

Throughout these thirty minutes, Love Ghost demonstrates how cross-cultural collaboration can enhance rather than dilute artistic vision. Bell’s background performing internationally (from Ecuador’s FFF Festival to Japan and Ireland) clearly informs his approach to working with artists from different backgrounds. Rather than attempting surface-level fusion, “Memento Mori” creates genuine dialogue between alternative rock, trap, and Latin urban traditions while maintaining consistent thematic focus on mortality and existential questioning.

The album’s bilingual approach never feels forced or calculated, instead reflecting how language shapes experience and perspective. By incorporating Spanish throughout these seven tracks, Bell acknowledges both his international audience and how language affects emotional expression. This approach particularly rewards repeated listening, revealing new dimensions with each play while creating natural entry points for diverse audiences.

“Memento Mori” arrives at perfect cultural moment, when artists like Peso Pluma and Junior H have demonstrated global appetite for music that crosses linguistic and genre boundaries. However, unlike many projects targeting this cultural intersection, Love Ghost approaches collaboration with genuine curiosity rather than commercial calculation, creating something that feels both timely and timeless. This authentic approach explains how the band has managed to sell out venues in both Los Angeles and Mexico.

For an artist who began performing in backyards at age ten, “Memento Mori” represents remarkable evolution while maintaining connection to Love Ghost’s core identity. Through seven carefully crafted tracks, Bell and his collaborators create sonic reminder that facing mortality can lead to both connection and creative rebirth—exactly what the album’s title suggests. With this release, Love Ghost continues their “unstoppable ascent in the international music scene” while remaining true to the creative vision that has guided them from backyard performances to international stages.