Rating: 4/5
Verdict: Bewitching tales from the depths of a closet.
Some girls have it all. Karen Elson is best known as being a haute fashion model and married to Jack White. And now with this, her debut album, the fiery-haired Brit proves she is a darkly imaginative lyricist and powerful solo singer too. The Ghost Who Walks draws on her
move from New York to Nashville with two children in tow. It was mostly penned in her bedroom closet- away from her new barren surroundings.
The album is very mysterious-gypsy - her eerie vocals, combined with the wailing accordion and guitar are alluring but haunting. Some tracks have a smoky cabaret sound to them, some are more Balkan folk and others evoke cascading icicles. There are subtle hints of Greensleeves, Scarborough Fair and even the Pink Panther. The lonely, nostalgic 100 years from now - is only slightly cleaner than yester-year's records played over a fuzzy wireless. The song, as well as the theatrical closing track, Mouths to Feed, was written for an entertainment troupe she performs in that specialises in political satire.
Just when Elson embarks on a mournful ballad, her bluesy/rock band and backing strings pipe up to ensure the song does not become a depressing example of wailing folk. The result is a quirky mind-bender that works. More please.
