WOMAD

Ghostland

From United Kingdom

In the heyday of progressive rock, it was inevitable that a three-piece group would be referred to as a “power trio”. Ghostland are a rarity in that they are a three-piece whose music is much more about atmosphere, depth and subtlety. And the line-up of guitar, drums and cello allows them space in which to entwine rich melodies and trance-like rhythm in an unusual and evocative combination.Guitarist Justin Adams is no stranger to this festival, having played here with Jah Wobble’s Invaders of the Heart and appeared on Wobble’s two most successful albums, ‘Rising Above Bedlam’ and ‘Take Me To God’. Drummer John Reynolds also played with the Invaders and was co-producer and co-writer on Sinéad O’Connor’s ‘Universal Child’ album. He wrote Wobble’s ‘Visions Of You’, which was sung by Sinéad – she is a guest vocalist on Ghostland’s debut album, ‘Seven Arrows’ (Eastwest Records) - and he has played with the Chieftains.Cellist Caroline Dale won the BBC Young Musician of the Year contest when she was 13. Since becoming a professional musician she has recorded with the Balanescu Quartet, played with Oasis and scored string arrangements for Peter Gabriel, Joan Armatrading, George Michael, and Robert Plant and Jimmy Page.The music these three produce on Seven Arrows is instantly appealing and highly textured – but it does not give up all its secrets on a first listen. It’s mostly instrumental, often drawing on Celtic and North African sources, but embracing sounds from many parts of the world. ‘Cowboys’, for example, opens with a melancholy Irish tune on guitar, later taken up by cello, with Arabic rhythms and muezzin calls in between. It’s as effective and effecting as a good film soundtrack.