Ghost Cauldron - Invent Modest Fires
by Daniel Cressey
published: 27 / 3 / 2004
Label:
Studio K7
Format: CD
intro
Entertaining but overtly schizophrenic dance-influenced rock from new band, Ghost Cauldron, who seem to be trying too hard to achieve mass appeal
This album is really trying too hard. The cover features a sticker proclaiming “Fans of DJ Shadow & Massive Attack should definitely check this out!” and the determination to achieve the kind of mass appeal of those artists is apparent through all the 13 tracks here. This is a real shame as there are some great tracks here and most of the album is hugely enjoyable. It is just too determined to be eclectic. The gentle and sad acoustic number ‘See What I’ve Become’ follows directly from the edgy hip-hop of ‘Only at Night’. The funked up sounds of ‘Garage Beat’ are sandwiched between two guitar based tracks. This schizophrenic nature sadly detracts from the enjoyment of ‘Invent Modest Fires’. The overall result is to make listening to this album all the way through quite an effort. I ended up just picking at bits of it and not really appreciating the whole thing. Given the number of different genres covered here it is hard to imagine how the tracks could have been put together to make it a more cohesive album. While individual parts are certainly good enough to support repeated listening the sudden jumps of style remain rather annoying. Ghost Cauldron is certainly a name to watch for though and if a more holistic approach – and a less determined courting of the ‘eclectic’ tag – manifests itself then the future looks bright.
Track Listing:-
1 Fire Walk With Me2 Only At Night feat. Pearilaus Bull
3 See What I’ve Become feat. Pearilaus Bull
4 MIdnight Vapor
5 Fear feat. AntiPopConsortium
6 Whole World feat. Apani B Fly
7 Look Back See Forward
8 Right Now feat. Perilaus Bull
9 Garage Beat
10 Calming Down feat. Perilaus Bull
11 Rush Nowhere
12 Death Before Disco feat. Naughty
13 Vortex
most viewed articles
current edition
Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies - Sala Apolo, Barcelona, 29/11/2023 and La Paqui, Madrid, 30/11/2023Anthony Phillips - Interview
Difford and Tilbrook - Difford and Tilbrook
Rain Parade - Interview
Oldfield Youth Club - Interview
Autumn 1904 - Interview
Shaw's Trailer Park - Interview
Cafe No. 9, Sheffield and Grass Roots Venues - Comment
Chris Hludzik - Vinyl Stories
Pete Berwick - ‘Too Wild to Tame’: The story of the Boyzz:
most viewed reviews
current edition
Serious Sam Barrett - A Drop of the Morning DewMarika Hackman - Big Sigh
Rod Stewart and Jools Holland - Swing Fever
Loves - True Love: The Most of The Loves
Ian M Bailey - We Live in Strange Times
Paul McCartney and Wings - Band on the Run
Autumn 1904 - Tales of Innocence
Roberta Flack - Lost Takes
Banter - Heroes
Posey Hill - No Clear Place to Fall
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dastardly
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank
Kimberly Bright
Lisa Torem
Maarten Schiethart