Tracks
Also by Karen Elson
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I first came across Elson's work listening to NPR a few years ago. Her interview was quite interesting and her (then) marriage to Jack White intrigued me enough to pick up her debut record. I do enjoy Jack's work in The White Stripes but am not particularly interested in country/folk fare, but this incredible record defied my expectations and as has come to be one of my favorites.
Ordinarily I am a metalhead; not that I listen to metal exclusively but I enjoy dynamic, well recorded, interesting music and The Ghost Who Walks is just that. It takes the sound textures of older country and folk music and spins it with Elson's crystal clear vocals, interesting lyrics, and an excellent production for a unique audio experience I have never heard anything else replicate.
Careful listening with a good pair of headphones will reveal complementing melodies in many tracks. Some songs even have a somewhat "progressive" feel to them in perhaps a similar manner to what The Decemberists have done on The Crane Wife.
Acoustic guitar rhythm is often present in one channel while one or two electric guitar lines share space on top of just-prominent-enough bass and drums. Lap steel guitar and organs/pianos/synth instruments add further textures that make listening to this album a joy for the audiophile; one can listen to the same song many times focusing on something else. The harmony of this choir of sounds mixed together is particularly impressive in the tracks "The Garden" and the powerful closer "Mouths to Feed". The record seems to be mostly written in minor keys and has a distinctive mood but is dynamic enough that the whole thing is gripping enough to be listened to in one sitting.
If you are not typically a country/folk listener for the reasons I mentioned earlier, you owe it to yourself to check this out. Here's to hoping that Karen hits the studio in the near future for a follow-up.
Ordinarily I am a metalhead; not that I listen to metal exclusively but I enjoy dynamic, well recorded, interesting music and The Ghost Who Walks is just that. It takes the sound textures of older country and folk music and spins it with Elson's crystal clear vocals, interesting lyrics, and an excellent production for a unique audio experience I have never heard anything else replicate.
Careful listening with a good pair of headphones will reveal complementing melodies in many tracks. Some songs even have a somewhat "progressive" feel to them in perhaps a similar manner to what The Decemberists have done on The Crane Wife.
Acoustic guitar rhythm is often present in one channel while one or two electric guitar lines share space on top of just-prominent-enough bass and drums. Lap steel guitar and organs/pianos/synth instruments add further textures that make listening to this album a joy for the audiophile; one can listen to the same song many times focusing on something else. The harmony of this choir of sounds mixed together is particularly impressive in the tracks "The Garden" and the powerful closer "Mouths to Feed". The record seems to be mostly written in minor keys and has a distinctive mood but is dynamic enough that the whole thing is gripping enough to be listened to in one sitting.
If you are not typically a country/folk listener for the reasons I mentioned earlier, you owe it to yourself to check this out. Here's to hoping that Karen hits the studio in the near future for a follow-up.
Wow, I love this one. It has a really weird, almost creepy vibe, but in the best way possible! The title track, "The Ghost Who Walks" and "A Thief At My Door" are two that always send shivers down my spine. "100 Years" sounds antique, like it's playing off of an old record. "Cruel Summer" has more of a country 'twang'. But "The Truth Is In the Dirt" was my introduction to "The Ghost Who Walks," the accompanying video is bizarre and intriguing. This is Karen Elson's debut album and I read that the title was a nickname given to her due to her pale, 'haunted' countenance. Five stars for this unconventional country music album.