Blues spans a broad spectrum, from the spacious roots sound of a simple, battered acoustic to the full-on electric band sounds made by superstars in Armani suits. It is fair to say that Mark Newman and his band sit at a perfect point in between, a place where dexterity and drive, music and muscle, groove and grace all meet and mix and merge marvellously.
‘Ghosts’ is at times infectiously upbeat and at others revels in understated deftness; despite employing a range of instruments, everyone seems to understand the idea of serving the song, laying off to create space, chiming gently in to add the requisite sonic colour. And it is the sound of a blues sound happy not to stay in its lane, adding rock weight, folky spaciousness, and effortless soulfulness to complete its sonic evolution.
The song is a lyrical reminder that we are all the product of our past, the good, the bad, the joy and the pain, and although you can’t outrun these formative ghosts, neither do you need to be beholden to them. Accept that you are woven from these emotive echoes, events, and experiences; acknowledge them and move on. The past is where we were made, the present is where we live, but the future is what we need to focus on.
‘Ghosts’ is a great track, deftly constructed and built to let the light in; it explores a sound beyond merely the blues’ borders; it has something to say, and like the theme of the song, whilst it knows where it comes from, it is where it is going that is the main concern here.
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