Album, Single and EP Reviews


 

 

  The Orca & the Eskimo b/w O… Sun! by Golden Ghost


The Orca & the Eskimo b/w O… Sun! cover art

Artist: Golden Ghost
Title: The Orca & the Eskimo b/w O… Sun!
Catalogue Number: Lucky Number Nine LN004
Review Format: 45
Release Year: 2007



Some songs seem to speak to you from the bottom of a cavern. A cavern deep within the earth singing a message that is both hopeless and hopeful. Perhaps songs like these are the sort of poetry to accompany the echoing guitars in our head. Whilst such songs lack immediacy, they however possess an ethereal quality that turns out to be quite haunting in its own way.

Such was the case with this release from Golden Ghost. They hail from New York but this release is on Glasgow's Lucky Number Nine label. On the A side - this is, after all, a vinyl single - the song is Orca & the Eskimo. This song is of such gentleness that you barely notice that it has touched you the first time. Maybe that is the ecologically friendly way to do things or simply a throwback to hippie times as those simple, chanting lyrics might suggest. Without ever looking lost, the song follows in its own lo-fi path to its conclusion. Not sure what it is all about but like we said, haunting stuff.

On the flipside (we like the sound of that) is Oh … Sun. Now this starts with a faltering Doors type rant. Very Apocalypse Now, very a-storm-is-brewing-sort of thing. Then it goes all sweet and indie pop throwing in some harmonica, some lonesome guitar and some choral type harmonies before disappearing into noise and studio chat.

It is fair to say that Lucky Number Nine Records are not aiming to dominate the world with this one - only 200 copies were pressed - but all music has its place. This release is a bit of a left of centre buy but not so far out of the norm that it becomes middle class trendy if you know what we mean. You could see it appearing on the soundtrack to some low budget, independent movie, for example.  Not the most accessible piece of music then but worth a listen nonetheless. Available from Lucky Number Nine Records.


www.myspace.com/heygoldenghost
Reviewer:
Review Date: December 22 2007