Reviewed Albums [Album Art]

Stupid Stupid Stupid. The Songbird's first review.

The Foals - Total Life Forever

Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks

The Mavyns - Lick The Blue Frog

Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks Review.

Karen Elson - The Ghost Who Walks.

Karen Elson. She’s hot. She was a model, you know. A human coat hanger for everyone from Marc Jacobs, D&G, Chanel, Versace and the like. And with good reason. She’s a pretty face. Pale white skin and flaming red hair. And someone who looks like this can play the guitar and sings songs about murder, love and roses. Love at first listen or what?

Then however, she got married to Jack White, and started her own Cabaret band. This explains why her music has a very theatrical quality about it, best heard in some dark, soothing environment. But its not exactly run-of-the-mill fare. It’s a weird hybrid between shy and outgoing.

The first song, the title track is called ‘The Ghost That Walks’ and is among the many highlights on the CD. It’s a slow, silvery murder ballad, using clever clichés and understated horror to leave its mark on you. Infact, the entire album is like that. Desperate and forlorn. Sad, yet oddly hopeful. Echoey and strainy. This album isn’t about record sales or big money. It’s about a person baring her mind and soul through music. The entire album reveals her thought process, showing once again, that there is no greater power than music.

People may ask the question, why listen to Karen Elson? Aren’t there more women singing in the same genre as her, why her? What makes her so special? What’s wrong with Taylor Swift? The answer, is that this album feels like it was written for you. Tell me that you don’t relate to “The only rain that falls in this land, are the tears that fall from me” – Mouths to Feed, or “I was old before I learnt to be young” – Stolen Roses or “A 100 years from now my dear, we shall not care at all; For it will not matter then my dear, if we’ve ever loved at all” from A 100 Years from now and I’ll say that you’re a cold-hearted bitch.

This album is highly recommended. Listen late at night, preferably with friends. And keep silent. I’ve always believed that good musicianship isn’t about your technical proficiency on an instrument or with lyrics [Screw you Joe Satriani!]. It isn’t even about the way you sing, way you dress or the way you live your life. It’s the way your music can make people think, remember, forget, understand and believe. It will concoct imagery in your head, and that is a winning point of the album.