Ivor Novello winner with more pauper’s serenades

In 2007 when Cherry Ghost’s debut album ‘Thirst For Romance,’ came out it completely bowled me over. Boltoner Simon Aldred gave us a thoughtful mix of indie, blues, folk and rock. Here we had a succession of proper songs about ‘rain splattered souls.’ Obviously I was not alone in my approbation as the band went on to win an Ivor Novello award for their single ‘People help the People.’ ‘Mathematics' was possibly the most immediately gorgeous single I had ever heard. Needless to say it was my album of the year and constant revisitation over the past three years has not dampened my ardour. The much anticipated sophomore piece ‘Beneath This Burning Shoreline,’ certainly had big shoes to fill. Like its predecessor it was a long time in the inception. Writing began in 2008 in Rome and Berlin it took a year to record. Finally it was ‘born’ in a barn owned by band pals Doves.

‘We Sleep On Stones,’ is a furious opener. It careers along like an unmanned stagecoach and promises to take you ‘down with a clean shot.’ Huge lashes of percussion and a country bass line builds. The master of the couplet sings ‘Sermons from a pig pen like blushes from a crack den.’ The song has the epic nature exhibited by the Last Shadow puppets. ‘A Month of Mornings,’ although a more traditional song, on occasion has all the atmosphere of ‘The Killing Moon’. From the tremendous track ‘Barberini Square,’ comes the marvellous line, ‘in a certain light your face could launch a bare-knuckle fight.’ Gentle strumming you could initially attribute to Jose Gonzalez ascends into symphony. This is for me most reminiscent of ‘Mary on the Mend,’ from ‘Thirst for Romance.’ The miscreant Western ballad ‘The Night They Buried Sadie Clay,’ samples Chopin's Funeral March.

My one criticism would be in the choice of songs most heavily promoted. Aldred describes the single Kissing Strangers as ‘Sinatra-esque,’ and considers it to be one of the best songs he has ever written. For me that track and ‘Black Fang,’ are not where the quality lies in this album. The affecting ‘My God Betrays,’ is a much better bet, a good old torch song. While ‘Diamond in the Grind,’ is a pauper’s serenade seemingly set to rainfall. The arrangement of the instrumental closer ‘Strays at the Ice Pond,’ reminds me very much of the James Bond theme, ‘Moonraker.’

A very well produced album this. Once again acoustic guitars sound like banjos and orchestral strings vie with crashing keyboards. Bass and drums accompany muffled synths and driving melodies. Not a huge departure from Thirst for Romance then. Most importantly alongside the musical pulchritude Aldred retains his nice turn of phrase. Cherry Ghost continue to tell ugly truths beautifully combining the beauty of Elbow with the intensity of The National. Like any craftsman worth their salt they take their time to produce the goods but it is always well worth the wait.

Mandy Williams