Reviewed by Paddy Hudspith

Its sleeve art refers to Ed Englerth's 'Restless Ghost' as a collection of 13 "moody intelligent folk jazz blues" tracks, and (not for want of trying) I couldn't come up with a better description! Englerth (vocals, guitars and founding member of LAB - Linear Action Band) and his bandmates Don Cheeseman (bass), Alan Dunst (drums) and Bob Hartis (saxophone) display consistently impressive musicianship across a generally mellow, slightly melancholic selection. This is certainly late night music that occasionally displays a moody gothic sensibility. Take the title track for example, chilling campfire yarn as metaphor for lifelessness: "Blood would drip if there were any left/The old tales of a restless ghost." Other highlights for me were the haunting "I Forgot Who I Am" featuring backing vocals from Ray White (Frank Zappa and Zappa Plays Zappa) and a stunning sax improvisation from Hartig at its close, and the up-tempo yet subtle "I'm Gone" with its hints of reggae. This is a fascinating release with bags of heart and integrity and deserves wider recognition than just the underground buzz that it will no doubt generate.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

Interested in reviewing music? Find out more here.