Gileah and The Ghost Train
Artist: Gileah and The Ghost Train
www.greyhatrecords.com  
Label: The Love Library
Time: 10 tracks/34:45

In 2005 Gileah, as a solo artist, released The Golden Planes. Now it’s two years later, and Gileah moves on from planes to trains and from solo artist to front-woman of her now-credited band, The Ghost Train (I find it mildly interesting, that the second track of her previous project starts out lyrically, in a car – completing the planes, trains and automobiles motif for compulsive types like Mr. Monk and myself). Changing modes of transportation is perhaps an appropriate metaphor for the musical progression from 2005’s afore-mentioned esoteric and somewhat  moody effort to the current self-titled CD, which picks up  ( on the first track ) where “Planes” left off - with Gileah’s breathy, ethereal voice singing over a solo piano in a minor key;  the song quickly picks up the emotional pace, as The Ghost Train gives “The Devil” its due, transforming into a dream-like, post-psychedelic pop soundscape, produced with a fresh-as-today sampling effect and Ringo-esque drumming that will warm the heart of any Beatles fan. Gileah and The Ghost Train is a well-crafted, intelligent pop album that manages to entertain the ear as well as engage the soul, with just the right combination of poetic lyrics, musical hooks to spare, and warm, human-sounding ensemble playing.

Citing literary greats such as Flannery O’Connor, Madeleine L’Engle, and George Mac Donald as influences, Gileah writes lyrics that are challenging and intriguing; seeming to weave in and out of the realm of human relationships, often reaching deeper, into spiritual territory as well as the human psyche. “The Satellite,” for instance, evokes multiple levels of meaning, from the personal and relational to the cosmic and spiritual – all in an efficient pop setting. In songs like “The Emergency,” we know that something strange is going on, even though we’re not quite sure what: there are echoes of “Hotel California,” but on a more spiritual and/or romantic level: “Wake up honey, There’s a fire in the hall / there’s an earthquake in the kitchen, there are lovers at the door,” Gileah sings, and then: “…it all was just a dream/ the house is fine, the kids the lawn, but what is just beneath…?” Nothing here is black and white – The Ghost Train rumbles through your speakers leaving behind lyrical phantoms and mysteries to ponder. Gileah’s words create images and impressions that seem to unfold meanings in measured doses each time you listen. 

Along with Gileah, who contributes piano, guitars, and vocals to the band, capably assisting are: Ava Quigley (vocals, guitars, omnichord), Kevin Woerner (electric guitars), Alan Salmon (bass and ‘odds and ends’), and Ben Phillips (drums). Along with playing bass, Salmon did a wonderful job producing and engineering the project with enough restraint to allow the band to really sound like a band, and not like a cold, over-produced commercial pop product. To these ears there are moments of similarity to early Sixpence None the Richer, as on “The Escape,” and the sometimes-surrealistic, artistic, similarly literary-influenced band,  Eisley, on songs like the very simple, melodic, catchy and effective fifth track, “The Light Princess.” Mix into this, an earthy vocal style reminiscent of Over The Rhine’s Karin Bergquist and a pop sensibility that ultimately pays tribute, as do so many of today’s more interesting, more melodic bands, to the Beatles (track four, “The Lazarus,” has many Beatle-like elements, including an excellent repeating vamp at the end, declaring, “one day it’s gonna’ be alright.”): certainly, an admirable set of influences.

There are many excellent, memorable songs here (all of which start with the word, ‘THE,’ by the way) that touch a variety of bases. Track nine, “The Slave,” is a lyrically intriguing voice and piano piece that includes short phrases familiar to anyone well-versed in the spirituals of the Old South: “go down Moses… swing down low… I’ll meet you by the river,” although I’ll leave it to the individual listener to interpret the song’s full meaning. Following this is the last and most explicit track on the project: “The Spirit” is a passionately performed expression of personal belief and worship. Intimate in expression, the song declares, “Oh God of all I see, Oh God of me, Oh God of me…” in tones reverent and full of wonder.  Gileah’s vulnerable vocal delivery gives the song a sense of mystery and awe that is missing from most of the corporate ‘praise and worship’ albums that have been saturating the industry with mediocre songwriting and over-the-top ego-filled performances. In this song, Gileah and The Ghost Train pull into a suspiciously heavenly station, where the presence of another Ghost just might be found…. 

The old spiritual goes, “Oh, this train is bound for glory – this train…” 
It certainly should be bound for your CD player.

By Bert Saraco 
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