Siobhan Donaghy
Ghosts

Often, in the past, I have stubbornly and senselessly tried to find gold in the musical mud that surrounds us; many times I've taken atrocious turns; many other times I've found little gems; I have valued and appreciated them with great satisfaction.

This time I'm trying again with Siobhan Donaghy, a splendid 24-year-old Englishwoman with evident Irish roots (just look at her or read her name), grappling with her second solo album "Ghosts", which comes four years after the almost completely unknown "Revolution In Me".

Unfortunately, Donaghy has quite a burden to bear, namely having been one of the founders of the Sugababes from '98 to 2000 (yes, those ones!), when the group of the three not-so-saintly girls was not known to anyone. However, Siobhan always tried to have an original identity and dropped them as soon as possible in search of her own path with a minimum of respectability, and actually, this is to her credit, having preferred an absolutely uphill career to an easier programmed path towards easy recognition.

"Ghosts" is an album that showcases her actual and undeniable vocal talent, her Irish roots, and her passionate and never hidden love for Kate Bush. Just listen to "Medevac", one of the most restless and rarefied tracks on the album, with an unstable atmosphere, creeping melody, and voice on the verge of ecstasy, perfect! The same formula with greater appeal in "Don't Give it Up", a track full of pathos, momentum, with a beautiful full chorus, all to be savored; I recommend you also watch the video on YouTube, which sees her running through sand dunes, singing in a mosque, in an atmosphere that perfectly coincides with the song, and then she is beautiful.

Excellent and definitely successful as well is "Halcylon Days", a track resembling the chorus of "Tear Drop" by Massive Attack, with that vocal delicacy that makes her voice unique, those vibrant and delicate beats, that restful atmosphere...soft as it grows with the melody. "Goldfish" is a successful mix between Goldfrapp's "Utopia" and Kate Bush, elegantly electronic, with an enchanting and fairy voice; it feels like being on a mountain peak, among the wind that caresses your cheeks and garments that vibrate with the wind; "Ghosts" the title track is probably the most extreme piece; the completely distorted words are incomprehensible, and everything sounds stretched and elusive, strange but pleasant.

Let's get to the weak points, unfortunately, Siobhan still suffers from that fear of taking the leap towards a higher step and encounters style falls like "Coming Up for Air", absolutely weak in impact and sometimes almost cloying, the same applies to "There's a Place", halfway through "So You Say" which could be a great track without all that excessive post-production, which in reality is an overall flaw of the entire work, too many touch-ups, too much fear, lack of courage... Siobhan is still in that limbo of indecision and insecurity, lacking ambition.

Not bad; "Sometimes" adds that touch of color and irony to the album, same story for "Make it Right" which, upon first listening, strikes with a full, rich, and pleasant sound, even if excessively pop, on another level "12 Acid Blues Bar", the most instrumental, joyful, nice, rhythmic, and funky track.

What to say overall? Siobhan is full of talent, but she still needs to grow with her own identity, she probably needs a more courageous attitude, I don't know, but I can say that "Ghosts" has a nice sound, positive and still different from today's musical garbage.

Bye!