Weekly > Reviews
Deadman - Our Eternal Ghosts
Well as someone that is a definite aetheist, I never thought I’d find myself saying this, but here goes.
I’ve never heard a combination of country-folk songs crossed with church music and gospel sound so damn good!
Yes you did read that right, this really is cool. Our Eternal Ghosts is the second album from Texan duo Steven and Sherilyn Collins, who go by the name of Deadman. On board again was Mark Howard to produce the record and hone the duo’s creative ideas into this very cohesive record that’s currently playing on repeat on my stereo. No surprise they wanted to work with Howard again though, debut album Paramour was critically acclaimed and his pedigree is a good one having worked with Lucinda Williams, Bob Dylan, Marianne Faithfull and U2.
Despite having a very polished feel to the album, it also retains a very rustic earthiness about it at all times, it’s one of the most atmospheric albums I’ve heard in a long time, with four musicians used on a variety of instruments to back up the duo. Lyrically it’s laced with fantastic imagery to accompany the shadowy music, Werewolves being a prime example; “The daylight was rapidly fading over moors where darkness filled and the man he gave me a warning, there are werewolves in these hills�. Add the slightly creepy music to this and it paints a pretty vivid picture for you, you can almost feel yourself stumbling about in the fog listening to every sound and jumping with them.
As well as the brooding atmospherics, some tracks are doused in gospel harmonies. Take The Monsters Of Goya, it starts off as a gentle paced country track that you can imagine someone like Glenn Campbell singing, it’s pure Texas (not the band don’t worry) up until three and a half minutes in, suddenly the guitars and the music go up to meet the “oh my lord� gospel chorus. It might sound cheesy written down here, but on record it really is lovely.
Possibly my two favourite tracks though are the opening two songs on Our Eternal Ghosts. It’s always good to draw the listener in early on in the album and Deadman do exactly that here. Where The Music’s Not Forgotten is their respectful tribute to the legacy left behind by great artists that have gone before them, recorded on the same day as Johnny Cash’s passing.
- Deadman
- Our Eternal Ghosts (2005)
- Category: Album
- Label: One Little Indian
- Reviewed by: Kev
- Published on: 10 Jul 2005
- Comments: 0
- Beat Surrender Rating:
Weblinks
Add to favouritesThe second track is Won’t be long, it’s a gently tinkling piano that underpins the track along with backing vocals from Daryl Johnson, and it’s a compelling track that is a clear favourite of mine on this album, the vocals are from Steven, deep, dark and rich as he sings in his hushed lilt.
The song that pushes those two the closest though is Love Will Guide You Home which they dedicate to Ray Charles (an inspiration of the duos). It’s a yearning gospel track that has real soul from start to finish, much as the album does as a whole. It’s an upbeat message within the song as Steven sings “When the trials of life have you hurting so much, love will guide you home. When you are looking for something that you can not touch, love will guide you home�.
If you aren’t religious like me and you can put that to one side for just over forty six minutes and enjoy this for what it is, unusual and beautiful music that encompasses a wealth of Texan influences, then you might just find yourself enjoying one of the most surprisingly brilliant records this year, similar in a sense I suppose to the Micah P Hinson album last year.
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