| This Week's Highlights |
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analysis w/e 14.5.11 |
DVDs out 9.5.11 |
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@ DVDfever Youtube |
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May 11 2011 
DVDfever co uk
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Want Two’s equivalent. Almost. A few years ago, Rufus Wainwright released his magnificent opus Want Two. Not since then have I heard anything to match it – Heavy Ghost comes, very, very close to it. We’re told that Jeff Buckley, Sufjan Stevens (label owner) and Antony Heggarty are his comrades / influences. Doubtful. They’d never match this. It’s more like his pianist mum, opera singing sisters and ex-church choir director dad that have provided inspiration. You only have to listen to one song to confirm that – Morning Glory Cloud which is absolutely stunning. Of all the albums reviewed this year, this is the most fascinating. It’s all done by one-man-band David Stith from Buffalo USA. If you’re expecting a quick-pop fix, forget it. What you get here is totally beguiling and often spellbinding, though initially, it doesn’t come easily. It’s time to sit down and listen, with headphones preferably. Heavy Ghost is for real musos who can appreciate the wealth of immaculately crafted songwriting, with its quirky bits.
Things don’t start off to well. Isaac’s Song is awful. Morbid and heavy piano play, wailing, drums splattering don’t bode well at all. There again this is Heavy Ghost After all. Thankfully out of the way, we stumble on the majestic Pity Dance. This is tasty stuff. Impressive backups, melodic guitar wails and rustic vocals kick-start the album. It’s as if Rufus Wainwright has given Dave a nudge, a big nudge at that. The piano playing is out of this world – unbelievable, honestly. African beats and rhythms carry the glorious Creekmouth. If Pity Dance was dynamic, then this is an all out percussive monster with all manner of instrumentation dropped in. Sensational at full volume. The ghosts are having some real fun here I can tell you. Such are the profound soundscapes; it could be the soundtrack to heaven, or other worldly experiences. There are moments when it becomes a tad unnerving too, like the (appropriately titled) Spirit Parade revealing its menacing cacophony, that spills over initially, into BMB, though it is saved by those glorious heavenly backups. It gets better. Thanksgiving Moon is a trip up to the stars, with all manner of instrumentation tinkling in a sort of celestial state. Classical strings open Fire Of Birds. They come back to help out, swirling and disappearing along the way. Further evidence of Stith’s influences (mum, dad, sisters, remember?) are borne out in two successive, magnificently crafted pieces – GMS and Braid Of Voices, that’ll blow you up to the stars, or wherever ghosts hang out. The verdict – Sensational.
Weblinks: asthmatickitty.com / dmstith.com / myspace.com/dmstith
The full list of tracks included are :
As of April 2009, Blu-rays and DVDs reviewed by the editor are watched on a Panasonic TH-37PX80B 37" Plasma TV with a Sony BDP-1500 Blu-ray player and played through a Yamaha DSP-AX820 amplifier. PC games reviewed by the editor are on:
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Review & concert pics copyright © Elly Roberts, 2004-2010.
