Cherry Ghost – Beneath This Burning Shoreline
July 5, 2010
“Beneath This Burning Shoreline”, the sophomore release by Cherry Ghost. I remember seeing this band open for Crowded House, being impressed by their musical arrangements and sincerity. I then listened to “Thirst For Romance” and I knew Cherry Ghost was a band that too few people had heard of.
Now “Beneath This Burning Shoreline” is released and there is one word that comes to mind. Confidence. The band is not doing things differently so much, but they are just doing it better and even more convincingly. The songs are carefully constructed with deeper layers, complex arrangements and often heavier themes. The songs sound experienced and at times quite moody, but they are always accessible and exciting.
Opening track We Sleep On Stones immediately starts that trend and indie gems like Only A Mother, Black Fang and Diamond In The Grind show the class of this band that hasn’t yet broke through to the general public.
The truly creative and impressive British indierock bands have a tendency of not being noticed early on. Look at bands like Elbow, Guillemots, Doves, etc. and even The Verve & Supergrass if you are willing to go back in time a little bit. It’s not like they were noticed early on. Or not really at least. And in a way, it’s part of the charm of these bands. Not being in the limelight of pop music’s center stage allows them to do what they do best, make excellent music that is filled with excitement and class.
Cherry Ghost is still growing. They debuted strong with “Thirst for Romance” but made enormous steps on “Beneath This Burning Shoreline”. The pieces are falling into place and so do the songs on this album. One of the more impressive albums of 2010. I would urge you to listen to A Month of Mornings and Black Fang at least as those should definitely get airplay in the year(s) to come. The band’s debut may have been a surprise, but “Beneath This Burning Shoreline” is a confirmation and it’s an album that definitely has longevity written all over it.
Inner Ear Media 