Mama Ghost - 'So Close' EP
Ireland's Mama Ghost started 2017 as she meant to go on with the release of her 4-track EP, 'So Close', out now via Northern Streams.
Music just happens for some people. As a child, you become fascinated with your parents' dusty old records, or turn on the tv, or the radio and all of a sudden there's a song that makes you feel a certain way. So much so, you can pinpoint when your love affair with music begins. For others, like Mama Ghost, music, quite simply, has always just been a way life.
Having grown up watching her Mother perform all over the Irish countryside in bands,surrounded by Musicians, Hippies, Buddhists and Gypsies, Mama Ghost quite clearly has pulled on nomadic, free spirited and organic influences when bringing the 'So Close' EP to life.
The EP opens with its title track, an ambling 3:30 seconds of somber reflection. Atmospheric folk finger picking supports Mama Ghost's beguiling vocal.Stripped back and intimate, the track whispers with a delicate and candescent emotion that evokes the spirits of Eva Cassidy, sophisticated and gentle in its delivery, despite the sadness it bleeds.
Track 2 on the EP is an incredible cover of A Flock of Seagulls - 'I Ran', where Mama Ghost has made it almost unrecognizable in its transformation. Gloomy and foreboding, Mama Ghost's, 'I Ran' is full of darkness, lead by emotive, intense piano work. Mama Ghost's vocal shifts too, gentle at first before becoming more impassioned, heavier, ethereal - the unforgettable roars of the wounded.
'Back To Life' shows Mama Ghost's playful side. Upbeat and catchy, listening to 'Back To Life' has all the familiarity of meeting up with an old friend. With its hooky chorus and fun arrangements, this is the kind of indie folk anthem with huge mainstream appeal, that you turn up louder in your car when it comes on to commercial radio. It even has whistling, which as a general rule, I absolutely loathe. However, Mama Ghost not only makes it palatable, but dare I say it, likeable.
The EP opens with its title track, an ambling 3:30 seconds of somber reflection. Atmospheric folk finger picking supports Mama Ghost's beguiling vocal.Stripped back and intimate, the track whispers with a delicate and candescent emotion that evokes the spirits of Eva Cassidy, sophisticated and gentle in its delivery, despite the sadness it bleeds.
Track 2 on the EP is an incredible cover of A Flock of Seagulls - 'I Ran', where Mama Ghost has made it almost unrecognizable in its transformation. Gloomy and foreboding, Mama Ghost's, 'I Ran' is full of darkness, lead by emotive, intense piano work. Mama Ghost's vocal shifts too, gentle at first before becoming more impassioned, heavier, ethereal - the unforgettable roars of the wounded.
'Back To Life' shows Mama Ghost's playful side. Upbeat and catchy, listening to 'Back To Life' has all the familiarity of meeting up with an old friend. With its hooky chorus and fun arrangements, this is the kind of indie folk anthem with huge mainstream appeal, that you turn up louder in your car when it comes on to commercial radio. It even has whistling, which as a general rule, I absolutely loathe. However, Mama Ghost not only makes it palatable, but dare I say it, likeable.
EP closer 'Toast of the Town' has an old soul, seemingly taping into more traditional values within its arrangements. The strings here are absolutely glorious, and the perfect way to round off an EP full of exploration and discovery. I could listen to Mama Ghost's lulling storytelling for an eternity.
Words of Karla Harris
Listen to 'So Close' EP on Spotify, here.