Ian McCulloch / Holy Ghosts
The album is almost a letter to critics past and present that says ‘Dear Fuckers, I am still around and better than ever. Signed Ian.’
Album Reviews | Released on Edsel
| By Darren Myers
Ian McCulloch
Holy Ghosts
(Edsel)
****
‘Holy Ghosts’ signifies one main thing to me! That Ian McCulloch is comfortable enough in his own musical legacy, that he is able to take 15 tracks of old and give them a new lease of musical significance, followed by ten new tracks, as a sign of continued relevance.
The album is almost a letter to critics past and present that says ‘Dear Fuckers, I am still around and better than ever. Signed Ian.’
When I put CD 1 on, which is live orchestral re-workings of Bunnymen material, I was hoping Ian hadn’t gone all Andre Rieu on me, and although I’m a fan of Rieu, thank feck Ian didn’t go that far. Instead, it’s just a slight orchestral overtone and silkier vocals to already established classics, like ‘The Killing Moon’, ‘Lips Like Sugar’, ‘Bring on the Dancing Horses’ and ‘Nothing Lasts Forever’. The only real change in their orchestral form is a mellower, more proudly defiant vibe that is missing from the songs in their original forms. This version of his old Bunnymen stuff seems more a personal contemplation in its touch, a touch that makes each chord, note and beat feel jam-packed with raw emotion.
It must also be pointed out because it is quite noticeable at times, when listening to some of the tracks your mind begins to wander and Ian’s voice begins to make you think you are listening to Leonard Cohen or Bowie, before his unmistakable silky, slightly husky voice reminds you it is Ian.
This Bowie/Cohen influence I picked up on at the start was soon justified, because as the album went on I discovered the second last song on CD 2 is quite a brilliant, poppy, somewhat funny track called “Me and David Bowie’ which thanks Bowie for showing Ian how to smoke better than anyone and wear and overcoat cool. It also tells of a time when Ian met David Bowie, and damn I cannot get its catchy chorus out of my head.
It’s impossible to pick the best track on the album but the one that caught me was, ‘Pro Patria Mori’! Its chorus just captivates you, especially the orchestral version, which is more defiant in its style than most tracks on the album. You can’t help but blast out your awful rendition off it while feeling like an 18th century American pioneer.
‘Holy Ghosts’ literally makes you want to turn off all the electrical appliances in your flat, light a candle, have a ‘smoke’ and just lie back and chill. It has that real uplifting beat that makes you so calm and relaxed your eyelids begin to drift off, as your mind sails away into internal thought on the albums smooth flowing structure. How fitting it is then that the album finishes with ‘Somewhere in My Dreams’.
Call me over-dramatic if you wish but with ‘Holy Ghosts’ Ian McCulloch, has not only managed to make a brilliant 25 track mellow album but in my opinion has produced his best collection of songs to date.
Darren Myers
