As the dust settled from the release of Cherry Ghost’s eponymous debut ‘Thirst For Romance’ and winning the Ivor Novello, the beguiling Simon Aldred had a little thinking time on his hands. Now they return with their second disc ‘Beneath These Burning Shores’ with the full-bodied ‘We Sleep On Stones’ seemingly revisiting where they ceased in 2007 with all of Aldred’s slow burning romanticism ubiquitous. The brooding cinematics of ‘Kissing Strangers’ and ‘Only A Mother Could’ relays akin Tindersticks, Richard Hawley or even the Western sound tracked Bookhouse Boys. And for those unfamiliar with Aldred’s acumen he even slips an excerpt from Chopins funeral march into the noteworthy ‘The Night They Buried Sadie Clay’ which highlights Aldred’s scope for widescreen vivid pop music in which he elegantly crafts. At times it’s hard not to hang off his every word of his varied subject matter – Aldred is said to have spent a significant amount of time in Berlin and Rome, thus explaining the post-war cries. As his emotive lullabies collapse around you throughout the album, it comes apparent that there’s not just consistency in Aldred’s writing but a cult genius at work.
New Wave veteran Steve Murray has enjoyed a long and varied musical career since early success with ‘Fast Cars’ in the late 70’s. His CV peppered with numerous high profile session musician gigs, Murray seems to be one of those well-respected ‘behind the scenes’ guys who has finally decided to take the plunge and branch out on his own, with backing band ‘Kingbird’. Together they offer an appealing brand of stripped back alt country numbers on debut EP ‘The Hand of Fate’.
Arctic Monkeys
