Review: Crumbling Ghost ‘Four’
So, here’s the thing… For all my years, all the acts I’ve discovered, and all the output I’ve consumed along the way, I thought, in one way or another, I had gotten a fairly comprehensive overview of pretty much every musical genre and subgenre of alternative music out there.
As I spent my childhood with a wide spectrum of styles at my disposal, you would have thought that having landed in a zone that is predominantly hard and heavy, there wouldn’t really be anything new left to surprise me. You would be wrong.
Growing up on the South Coast of England and being in my early fifties now, certain styles of music are synonymous with this part of the world, one of those being old-timey folk music. I spent a lot of time in Kent and Sussex, which have a huge folk community, and had more than my fair share of hours in bars and venues being (somewhat begrudgingly) exposed to what I considered to be quite ‘quaint’ and ‘cheesy’ folk. It became part of what gave me the ick when it came to live music in the area.
Admittedly, I did fall for The Levellers and The Fold in the process – both Brighton-based, and both leaning heavily on that ‘cutesy ye olde English’ dynamic firmly rooted in Celtic and Gaelic musical history. Beyond those, however, I avoided the genre like the plague.
For all that time spent becoming over-acquainted with those elements, the one thing I never gave a second thought to was a fusion of folk with actual heavy music. I guess the association of folk with being dressed in green and worshipping the woodlands never really aligned with loud, abrasive guitars and darker content, so I didn’t ever give it a second thought.
That is until now, as my eyes have been truly opened to the possibility of such a pairing – and not only that, but it working eloquently, without feeling laughable or cliché.
What Crumbling Ghost do, if you aren’t already aware of them, is take the most interesting and darker elements of that whole folk dynamic and entwine them with real heavy tendencies, including doom and stoner, in ways that are not only fresh, but also incredibly uplifting. Admittedly, it does tend to stray into that whole proggy Jethro Tull/Marillion playground, a territory where I wouldn’t usually set foot in, but with this band, I happily would.
beautifully ethereal, cheekily elvish, and mystical, while remaining darkly abrasive…
On their new album, Four, the London-based quintet have taken their time (pretty much a decade, in fact) and created a seven-track opus that is as lavish as it is darkly enchanting. Heavily rooted in modern situations with a gothic twist, the subject matter lends itself fantastically to the sonic experience, exporting something as otherworldly as you would expect. It is a unique entity: beautifully ethereal, cheekily elvish, and mystical, while remaining darkly abrasive when necessary.
Opening with Bows Of London, we are swiftly enticed by a hypnotic chant – or possibly a shanty, nae, thinking about it, it could even an invocation. Either way, the spell is cast, and as the narrative plays out, it all opens up into a vastly more oppressive sonnet. Intermittent guitar chugs lead the way for the percussion, and thus, fully materialising as they do. By its peak, it is dark and menacing while still maintaining its mystery. Its charm keeps it intriguing throughout, and even by its climax, it is still unravelling its true identity.
Bill Norrie swoops in momentarily to lift the mood, but it doesn’t last long before things descend into darker territories. Upbeat, lighter vocal melodies offset the harsher, bass-driven backdrop, and when it hits harder, boy does it hit. Dirty, epically dirty, it’s an absolute contrast to the lead-up, shaking the whole affair on its ass.
Elsewhere on the album, we have more examples of the group’s call to traditional Gaelic chants, hidden soliloquies, and muted conversations through song. With each new track, another truth is exposed, bringing with it a venture into the darkness.
The accompanying soundtrack flits between easier-paced and harder intensities, but it’s all produced in such a way that it’s never too much. Even when it feels like it’s heading that way, they rein it back in to wash over you more serenely. Never shying away from doom-led passages, for every darkness there is a light; they are true masters of getting everything just right and producing music with generous doses of many ingredients.
Truly unique and utterly mesmerising, Crumbling Ghost are a secret little wonder that should be discovered by all. Time will tell, but I think they are heading towards very big things indeed.
Label: New Heavy Sounds
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram
Scribed by: Lee Beamish
