Ghost By Radical Face

This next album review is of Radical Face's 2007 album, Ghost. Radical Face is a name adopted by Ben Cooper, of Electric President, because he thought it was funny, and this is the first album he's released under the moniker.

Whereas Electric President indulge in catchy electropop and hi tech digital sounds, Cooper uses this new persona to bring to life his more traditional songwriting desires. The album is full of sweeping, swelling choruses, forceful banjo, rattling drumbeats and accordion, augmenting the acoustic guitar that provides the beating heart of most of the songs.

The album takes on the concept of a house which is able to remember and relate tales of the events which have taken place within its walls. This provides songs with a unique viewpoint of a house looking at its occupants, and can create some very interesting lyrics. This particularly stands out in the song 'Wrapped In Piano Strings', which tells an emotional story of turbulent relationships and death over powerful guitar  and clapping percussion. Its a strong track, and one of the highlights of Ghost.

There are several other very enjoyable songs on offer. The opening, 'Asleep On A Train', blends a beautiful tinkling piano, wheezing accordion and gorgeous a cappela vocals to create a track that's so peaceful and serene that it almost puts the listener to sleep before the album can get into its stride. And that would be a shame, because the second song, 'Welcome Home, Son', is definitely the best on the album. Again, the weighty guitar chords and persistent clapping carry the song through to the immense, soaring chorus, which lifts the listener up and, if they're anything like me, actually creates a genuine feeling of longing. A brilliant song, that I can't stop listening to. 

In the majority of the songs, the instrumentals work well, providing excellent melodies and carrying the songs along nicely. However, on a few tracks, the audio range is a little limited and the sound isnt all it could or should be. This could be bad instrumentalism, or more likely, the result of limitations in the home studio equipment Cooper used to record the album. However, this only affects a few of the numbers, and doesnt present a great problem in the majority of the album.

One problem does present itself throughout Ghost, however. Ben Cooper's vocals. He has a very nasal tone and a flat vocal range, which greatly limit his ability to make the most of the good songwriting and production that has gone into the album. Its a shame, because it comes close to spoiling what could have good, if not great, first album. It is worth a listen though, if only to check out the first two songs and make your mind up for yourself.

Scores (out of 10)

Lyrics: 7
Vocals: 4
Instrumentals: 7
Album arrangement: 6
Overall: 6

Favourite Track: Welcome Home, Son

By Nathan Murphy