Foreign Slippers - Farewell to the Old Ghosts

  by Andy Cassidy

published: 27 / 6 / 2012

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Review

I don’t think I have ever been so excited about a CD’s packaging than I was when 'Farewell to the Old Ghost's dropped through my letterbox. A cardboard sleeve in washed out colours, the CD “case” is in fact a little model of a typewriter to be made by the lucky owner! It’s so quirky, I was hooked. And I’m pleased to say that the music inside the package lived up to expectations. 'Farewell to the Old Ghosts' is the second LP from British/Swedish alt.folk/rock band Foreign Slippers. Their music is difficult to classify, with acoustic passages often moving quickly into full-blooded rock. Opening track 'It All Starts Now' sounds like Admiral Fallow, with a gentle acoustic background to the verses which gives way to a lively chorus of voices and emphatic drumming. The album continues with 'Thank the Moon', with a fantastic vocal by lead singer Gabi Froden. Like the opening track, the verses jog along gently before the track and Froden’s vocal explode into the chorus. Musically third track 'Old Ghosts' sits somewhere between Franz Ferdinand and Midlake, while the acoustic guitar on 'Island' is a welcome and gentle respite from the busier tracks on the album. 'Island' is by far my favourite track on the album – the stripped down arrangement opens the song up beautifully rendering the song very affecting. Similarly, 'What Are You Waiting For' is a fantastic song, perfectly blending the melancholic effect of a solo piano with a beat which could easily propel the track into the top forty. Indeed, if the track reminds me of anyone, it would be current chart darling Lana Del Rey. Throughout the album I was struck by the quality of Froden’s vocals and the group’s musicianship. There is an air of quiet confidence and a real sense of a group who know exactly what they are doing. The icing on the cake, though, was the packaging – truly a work of genius if ever there was one.

Track Listing:-

1 It All Starts Now
2 Thank the Moon
3 Old Ghosts
4 The Two People in You
5 Avalanche
6 Island
7 What Are You Waiting For
8 Under Your Ribs
9 Throw the Lot In
10 Dead Inside
11 Is That You
12 When You Feel the Fear

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/foreignslippe
https://twitter.com/foreignslippers
https://www.youtube.com/user/foreignsl
https://plus.google.com/10151838064806
https://foreignslippers.wordpress.com/