Ghost Seldom Seen Often Heard LP
so it's finally here. after 3 absolute quality 12/EPs for Breakin Bread one of the UKs top producers, Ghost, drops his magnum opus - a seventeen track (including skits and pieces), 56 minute ode to the producers mantra - Seldom Seen Often Heard on a great piece of Will Barras artwork
As is to be expected he brings along his mainstays for much of the album - Verb T, Kashmere and Asaviour feature together or separately on 6 of the tracks and the English MC contingent is completed with Lowkey and Dubbledge getting a track apiece. Then the surprises - Mudmowth from Wales, Abstract Rude (California) and Finale (Detroit) complete the MCs and we're left with a singer called Devorah appearing on a track plus cuts on some by IQ and flute on others by Biscuit. So that's the Ghost guest rollcall, let's breakdown the album
If you've checked any of the previous EPs you know the classic headnod hiphop era that Ghost resides in and this album is chock full of them. tempo's vary, styles vary but there's a consistency throughout, only broken up early on by an annoying 'Music' skit from Disorda over some wurlitzer music which could & should have been left out in my opinion as it brings nothing to the listenability, the intro/outro and remaining skit on the LP don't offend me anywhere near as much being as they are more musical interludes of good quality. The intro sets the tone for a Shadow-esque album, which feel rears it's head again at the end of the album, but instead leads into the title track with Verb T, Kashmere, Asaviour and IQ, a slow dark broody track with snares aplenty over haunting piano trills. The three MCs do well and pass the mic well to give a consistent feel to the track.
After a long gentle fade out "Basic Instinct" with Abstract Rude follows up and throws the tempo up and gives us a nice slice of bay area solesides style hiphop.
Lowkeys "Make A Difference", a typically multi-layered production with crisp snapping snares, manages to rescue back a track from what i thought was going to be on the tired topic of UK MCs with American accents (which is where it finishes off as well) into more of a hiphop political manifest, Lowkey for London mayor once Chester P quits? A good track let down with a weak finish and a bit too long an outro.
After Disorda's ramble we're treated to recent single 'The Payoff' which still sounds great, an easy going layered cut with horns and strings holding the track together over more than competent MCing from Verb T and Asaviour. So where was Kashmere when that was recorded? Doing his solo cut "Valley Of Legends" maybe and as he says 'Ghost and Kashmere come correct' and they certainly do. Kash's vocal style and lyricism always intrigue and interest and over this stabbing Ghost beat with low slung bass it works really well
And then a total change of scene with the LPs only singing vocal track where unknown (to me anyway) Devorah brings the soul over an instantly familiar but totally original funkstyle summer vibe, could easily be seen on a Rae & Christian album and they're masters of proving that hiphop and more soul styles can fit on albums just fine
"Invisible Inc" brings back the trio of Kash, Verb T and Asaviour starting with a bit of studio banter before going into another snare heavy dark clicky track ideally suited to the MCs more slow vocal styles
"Alien Invasion" off the recent Payoff EP flips the style back to a Grand Central vibe with Detroit MC Finale coming correct and some nice flute action from Biscuit
Asaviour gets to prove he can go it alone before his forthcoming Lowlife LP on the nice funky bass and guitar, handclapping "On The Right Track" with some nice cutting interludes from IQ
First time i've heard Welsh MC Mudmowth on this "Through The Hills" track but i'll definitely dig for more after his welsh twang sits really nicely over what could be a glockenspiel ringing throughout the background layers and his clear and concise ode to Wales is a really good track and one of the vocal highlights for me on the LP
into the tailend and following the "Music For People" skit an eastern vibe gives Dubbledge time to shine over a really tight drum track paradiddling along to give the track a great rhythm and sense of pace which more than holds its own on the long outro once Dubbledge has stopped rhyming
Finishing up the vocal side of the album is of course left to some of the mainstayers - Asaviour and Verb T on "Better Tomorrow", a track which starts with that much repeated "tune the radio through different tracks" style intro (we listen on DAB now!), a competent enough track by all concerned but feels a bit flat given whats preceded it, particularly the chorus which feels a bit plodding.
Ghost has really saved the best until last though with an absolute peach of an instrumental track, "Round Trip" is the best DJ Shadow track i've heard since Endtroducing and that's meant as a supreme compliment, the high scale piano and layered and crispness of the beats could by What Does Your Soul Look Like Part 5 and being as that was the EP that started me down the slippery slope away from guitars this to me is 3 minutes of heaven. Yes maybe it's a bit too much biting that classic triphop formula but since Shadow doesn't do it any more then why shouldn't someone else?
So over a very nice consistent album Ghost gives us the quality we have come to expect, nice layered crisp hiphop tracks with a couple of quality surprises bringing in the female soul vocal and the instrumental (dare i call it) triphop, some great production and a nice array of guest vocalists which sounds cohesive through the repetitive but sporadic use of Kashmere, Verb T and Asaviour interspersed with the other MCs. It's a really nice album that holds together well and cements Ghost as a premier league producer, not just on these shores
Ghost's "Seldom Seen Often Heard" is out Monday 20th March 2006 on Breakin Bread through Boombox Distribution
Corker of a debut LP showing diverse but cohesive production styles from one of the UKs finest beatsmiths
- Spoon
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