Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
It is not beyond the realms of thought that we can look upon ourselves at this time as the children of fallen expectation, the high hopes we cherished, the plans we made, are being unravelled by A Ghost Inside the machine, and it is the spectre of our misdeeds, our failures to act in a responsible manner towards the place we call home, the continual cycle of abuse we visit from one generation to the next; it is no wonder that in the end the ghosts come back to haunt us and urge us to listen more and speak less.
To listen is a privilege, an example of empathy, and when found in art, as all honourable states of human emotion are, the ghost inside takes on a different, more fulfilling role, one not of the spectre at Banquo’s table, but instead the spirit, the soul, of manifested belief.
Following on from the single Seinfeld Street, released earlier in the year, Henry Bateman shows the listeners what to expect when they confront the appearance of the ghoul, and how they can reduce its power by adopting and sharing the presence of mind of human interaction in such a way that it banishes the shade of want, of the hunger to destroy another’s soul.
To find such a cause wrapped up in any album is good fortune, but in Henry Bateman’s recording, it is the act of sentience, the war on fear caused by those outside of the machine, that makes it a beautiful, compelling and directly speaking piece of art, and as tracks such as the opener, I’m Worth More Than This, Something Over Me, The Reason I Hide, In My Blood, the superb Hung Us Out To Dry, and of course the motivation behind the album’s insistence of being heard, the single Seinfeld Street, all play out in comfortable forgiveness, they are the reason why the ghost inside can still regain its form and offer human perspective.
An album of great sincerity, of purpose, its objective is to teach, not scold; and in every intention it sought to create the ability to listen and feel empathy is the greatest of its virtues. Superb depth, A Ghost Inside still has feelings.
Henry Bateman’s A Ghost Inside is released on September 11th.
Ian D. Hall