Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
We Came From The Stars, and it is to the stars we will return, all that lays in between is observation, daydreams and adventures, but even then we are mindful of the sense of the ethereal, the timeless clock ticking downwards to zero, so what we see is not all that we wish for, all that we feel can be in the end delicate strands of survival, waif-like ghosts haunting the plains of existence, paying penury in advance as we struggle to understand that what is beyond our vision exists, and is not an illusion created by gods and zealots.
The Ghosts of Helags espouse adventure during chaos, the earthy boundary joined by the incredible music of Teresa Woischiski and John Alexander Ericson, and the resonance that typifies the romance of the genre whilst all time mindful of its place with in it and in their new recording, what is presented to the listener is an intricate wave of detail surrounded by that passion for the ethereal, the longing wrapped up in release of expression.
It is to freedom that we look to the stars, our earthly shell the only barrier to re-joining the liberty, the independence we badly miss, and it is to the same sense of the fragile and substantial come fiercely across in tracks such as Mary, Bye Bye Tokyo, Anthem-We Come From The Stars, Unconditional Love, and Nothing Can Stop The Rain From Falling Down, the deep experience of the magic, of the enchanting sweep of emotional resonance, that The Ghosts of Helags offer such freedom, for as the sound framed by the music and unrestricted vocals prove, it is to the imagination that freedom offers to which we must acknowledge the stardust that binds us all.
A truly captivating album, songs of surreal beauty which refuse to be contained by earthy demands and stipulations. Absolutely beautiful.
The Ghosts of Helags release We Came From The Stars on March 5th.
Ian D. Hall