Kris Delmhorst – Ghosts In The Garden (Big Bean Music)
If you knew nothing of New England-based Kris Delmhorst, your first take on Ghosts In The Garden might conclude that she pays rent to live on the more dreary side of the singer-songwriter spectrum. From the overcast, somewhat colorless cover art to the slow creep of the song selection on this tenth release; from the sparse, barely-there instrumental accompaniment on many of these tracks to her somewhat impassive expression on the cover, you might conclude that she’s someone who’s depressed, if not totally haunted. And, you might also conclude that, no, she’s not for you. But you’d be so totally wrong in doing so.
Ghosts In The Garden is a true-blue grower of a release. Like any worthy cause, if you invest into it, it will eventually pay dividends, In fact, it takes hold and hits you very hard – primarily because you never saw it coming. This is a grand seduction of a record by an artist who has always been true to her heart and has perfected the art of digging deep to deliver spirited, nourishing compositions with lyrics which do far more than rhyme.
Delmhorst doesn’t approach the genre like your typical singer-songwriter. She, instead, applies her vocals (and she has many of them on this release) as but one of so many different colors. Like the anti-bleak photograph of her laundry on the line (found on the cover of the lyric sheet), she’s full of surprises. Her core band, consisting of Erik Koskinen (electric/acoustic guitar, organ), Jeremy Moses Curtis (electric/acoustic bass) and Ray Rizzo (drums, udu, chimes, percussion) are fellow artists in the true sense of the world, weaving their rich array of complementary sounds in and around each composition like so much sound design as Delmhorst applies her vocals with acoustic/electric guitar and Rhodes piano. Little surprise that the Brooklyn-born singer first trained as both cellist and fiddler in her earlier life, which might explain her penchant for applying musical textures to her work, rather than follow the traditional path of the singer-songwriter.
In attempting to explain the overall sound of the album, this intimately-connected core band works closely together yet, after it was recorded, Delmhorst heard ‘other voices’ over the existing mix – harmonies, tones, adornments to enhance what was already there. Were these ‘the ghosts’? Putting the call out to her extended musical family, she added deft vocal blends to ten of these eleven tracks – making this a true collaboration in every way.
Beginning with “Summer’s Growing Old,” Koskinen’s murmur of a guitar phrase and minimal percussion builds a dark, brooding backdrop to Delmhorst’s pensive recall of summer’s past glory, as the days grow dim. Rose Cousins’ backup vocals add significant depth, boosting the haunting effect.
“Wolves,” similarly, keeps the listener ‘on edge.’ One can almost feel the heat from the flames but you can’t relax – feeling the threat of unknown forces – keeping wary to the trouble about. Acoustic guitar, keyboards, minimal percussion and the liquid tones lent by Koskinen’s electric guitar keep the focus on Delmhorst’s vocal – which has a hint of Shawn Colvin’s aura of glimmering vulnerability.
It’s no mistake that “Ghosts in the Garden” is the focal point. There’s a strong hook snaking through its keyboard-led underbelly, softly supported by Rizzo’s brushes until its rich chorus kicks in, supported by Jabe Beyer’s gentle backup, piano and Koskinen’s always-inventive guitar. One hears a slight reference to Jane Siberry, perhaps – not that Delmhorst doesn’t already have a patent on the wispy and ethereal.
Lest there be any doubt that Delmhorst hasn’t learned her lessons on keeping one’s toes tapping, “Won’t Be Long” kicks things into a higher gear, driven by Koskinen’s muscular guitar and the rhythm section of Rizzo and Curtis while Rachel Baiman’s backing vocals push Delmhorst’s higher register to a noteworthy place. The tautness of her lyrics and her knack for rhyme become an added element of the musicality of her songs, hitting where and when they do while the accelerated pace underlines that – surely – the answers to our questions aren’t far behind (and if you hear shades of Kathleen Edwards, you’re not alone).
Following with the comparatively gentle, jazz-like, keyboard-led “Not the Only One,” Delmhorst’s delicate, breathy tones seemingly celebrate the land of broken hearts while reminding us that we’re far from alone, while the band sits back in the mix. Anna Tivel ably adds dreamlike support while Koskinen’s electric guitar runs, as always, like an exposed vein, throughout.
The stunning “Detour” begins slowly with strummed guitar as electric guitar cries in the background. Rich Hinman’s pedal steel adds to the mood in conjunction with rich washes of Rizzo’s cymbals. Delmhorst’s soft vocal benefits from Jeffrey Foucault’s higher-register support.
Another disc highlight is ”Age of Innocence” (which could have been subtitled “Oops!”) with its neo-country tribute to busted dreams and taking responsibility for one’s life. Strummed acoustic joins the clip-clop rhythm of the full band as Koskinen’s liquid electric notes join Ana Egge (singing in unison) in this powerful lament for not living life to its fullest – and the price that we’ll pay.
Delmhorst is skilled at putting words together which seem to illustrate how the rest of us dream. “Lucky River” serves as contrast to the rest of us never really getting anywhere. Subtle keyboards, acoustic and electric guitar plus warm bass connect with Delmhorst’s vocal as it twins with Anais Mitchell’s, conjuring a dreamlike trance as we ponder getting stuck in one spot – and not seeing our way out of it.
The appealing combination of pedal steel, gentle electric guitar and minimal bass and drums take the listener “Beyond The Boundaries.” The pairing of Taylor Ashton’s voice to Delmhorst’s is a high point while lyrics like “the blood in our veins was singing in rhyme” help tell a tale of lost love and the need for guidance.
“Dematerialize” is, comparatively, a rocker. Keys, drums, guitar and bass explode as Delmhorst explores the act of living ‘less than present’. Still, out of the darkness, the search for light remains never-ending. The hearty chorus (Jabe Beyer rejoins her) together with Rizzo’s distinctive double-beat is all hook and no filler.
Closing on the slow-speed, definitely dreamy “Something to Show” – the album’s most potent track, Delmhorst’s higher-end, velvety vocal merges with Rose Cousins’ to create a divine, celestial chorus. Drums, keys, electric guitar and standout bass (Curtis) hold the ladder firmly while we reach out for answers and some other-worldly justification for our actions.
Although Delmhorst’s press notes allude to her offering up “a kaleidoscope meditation of grief and loss,” this is only part of the story. She’s clearly sharing the intimacy of her diary for all to see and although she explores both lightness and dark like some ancient alchemist, she has questions – as do we all – and she probes for answers. This mage favors the light and seems ever-hopeful, regardless of her seductively soulful skill at painting scenes of absolute bleakness. There’s far more sharing going on here than there is distancing herself from others. Life is hard and answers exist – or certainly should. At a time in our lives where we’re aging – from losing our parents to having our kids leave home, to watching the world as we knew it balancing on the edge of the toilet, Delmhorst struggles to find interpretations, explanations and possible solutions – a worthy goal. She’s far from defeated and this makes Ghosts in the Garden a remarkably uplifting album.
Especially now.
Find more details here on their website: https://www.krisdelmhorst.com/
Enjoy our previous coverage here: Song Premiere: Kris Delmhorst “Borrowed Place”
Musicians on the album are: Kris Delmhorst – acoustic/electric guitar, Rhodes, vocals; Ray Rizzo – drums, udu, chimes, percussion; Jeremy Moses Curtis – electric and upright bass; Erik Koskinen – electric/acoustic guitars, organ; Rich Hinman – pedal steel guitar, electric guitar; Sam Kassirer – piano, organ, Rhodes, Wurlitzer, autoharp; Rose Cousins – vocals (1, 11); Jabe Beyer – vocals (3, 10); Rachel Baiman – vocals (4); Anna Tivel – vocals (5); Jeffrey Foucault – vocals (6); Ana Egge – vocals (7) Anais Mitchell – Vocals (8); Taylor Ashton – vocals (9).
The album was ecorded by Sam Kassirer at The Great North Sound Society in Parsonsfield ME; mixed by Sam Kassirer at MEFFA in Medford ME; with additional recording by Colin Fleming, Sean Sullivan, Zachariah Hickman, Alec Spiegelman, Jeffrey Martin and Kris Delmhorst. It was mastered by Alex McCollough at True East, Nashville.