Cocorosie - The Adventures Of Ghosthorse And Stillborn

  by Mark Rowland

published: 6 / 3 / 2007

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Review

The two obvious reference points that spring to mind when listening to ‘The Adventures of Ghost Horse and Stillborn’ are Bjork and Joanna Newsom. Like those artists, Cocorosie have a penchant for odd, innocent imagery. Like Newsom, they have strange, childlike voices, and like Bjork, they mix organic and electronic sounds. But there are so many other influences in there, from modern pop to opera, that Cocorosie create a sound and an atmosphere that is truly their own. This may be an acquired taste for some, but sooner or later it draws you in. The first two tracks, ‘Rainbowarriors’ and ‘Promise’ are hip hop tracks from another dimension, where it was invented by kids on a sheltered hippy commune. By ‘Japan’, the band have become a twisted carnival band; full of childish joy, but ever-so-slightly creepy. It then becomes a macabre, operatic wail, distant at first, then going back to the mutated kid’s song that it started off as. ‘Sunshine’ is one of the more straightforward tracks on the album; a beautiful, day-dreamy song which almost brings you back to reality, before ‘Black Poppies’ sucks you back into the strange world that Cocorosie have created on ‘The Adventures…’ one that brings to mind Tim Burton’s ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’ - it’s a world filled with good, it’s fun, but it’s also slightly unsettling. ‘Werewolf’ would be an R’n’B hit in the hands of someone like Timbaland, but instead it’s a tender left-field pop gem, again showcasing Cocorosie’s more accessible side. ‘The Adventures of Ghost Horse and Stillborn’ is like a great children’s book; fantastical, fun and twisted as hell - a skewed version of reality, innocent and knowing at the same time.

Track Listing:-

1 Rainbowarriors
2 Promise
3 Bloody Twins
4 Japan
5 Sunshine
6 Black Poppies
7 Werewolf
8 Animals
9 Houses
10 Raphael
11 Girl and The Geese
12 Miracle

Band Links:-

http://www.cocorosiemusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/CocoRosie-676
https://twitter.com/larealcocorosie
http://www.songkick.com/artists/476377
https://www.youtube.com/user/larealcoc