Cherry Ghost - Thirst For Romance Album Review

Cherry Ghost
Thirst For Romance
Album Review

And the award for this year's Local Radio friendly sounding music goes too.

.Cherry Ghost (applause)!

It has to be said that this lot from Bolton have created 'Folk Pop'. The thing about Cherry Ghost is that they are for the Radio Two listeners out there rather than Radio One. Yes, although a lot of you feel that this all sounds a bit harsh it is not, it is just fact.

Cherry Ghost do what they do well, but at the same time they are never going to be a Foo Fighters or Pigeon Detectives or to some extent even a Snow Patrol. Simon Aldred just owns that easy listening style vocal that is only enhanced by the music, it is all calming, relaxed and chilled out.

Take the whole Radio Two comment negative or positive it is up you, but at the end of the day, love or loathe this band they have found a following and that is the direction which they will take in order to sell records.

Thirst From Romance is the debut album to come from Cherry Ghost and ironically enough, the first track on the album is Thirst For Romance that has a real happy feel to it an yet there is a sense of darkness in there as well. Simon Aldred has got one of those voices that will either connect with you straight away or will be like someone scraping their nails down a black board. There is no in between.

People Help People is the song that has already captured peoples (excuse the pun) hearts. This is Cherry Ghost at their best and it is only backed up by the fact that this was released as a Single.

The one thing about Cherry Ghost is that the lyrics are very deep and at time dark, which is proven to perfection in the shape of Roses and Dead Man's Suit. There is intensity inside these track and feeling that is as raw as a Burger Kings Burger.

Luckily the album is not full of eleven depressing, intense songs and just when you need a pick me up, Cherry Ghost provide it in the shape of False Alarm. A fast upbeat song and there are some guitar riffs in there! Honestly it is as if Simon Aldred is guest singing for Status Quo. A few more tracks with a bit of life on this album would make all the difference in a big way.

Cherry ghost showcase a power ballad with Mary On The Mend, but you find that after three minutes the attention span has gone and yet this song goes on for nearly eight minutes. Boredom has settled in by this point and it no longer matters what the last track is because you have lost the will to care.

.But the sad thing is that Cherry Ghost finish off with Mathematics and Simon Aldred captures the audience with his opening line "Meet me on the corner by the fire escape and I'll be waiting" There is a tint of Badly Drawn Boy at his best within this song.

Yes, yes this bloke has gone on and on about these being a band for Radio Two, but is that really a bad thing? At least there not trying to be what they are not like Keane and The Thrills. The one thing about Cherry Ghost is that they are honest in what they do.

Mark Moore