[rating=9.00]
It’s not exactly a nice feeling when an album reminds you that you’re a bit of a sexist, but it’s an important one to acknowledge. Because if you’re anything like this reviewer, you’re going to hear some pretty amazing slide guitar on Kara Grainger’s Living With Your Ghost, and you’re going to wonder who’s behind it, perhaps picturing some kind of young, male gunslinger with captivating facial hair. Then you’re going to learn it’s Grainger, she of the incredible singing voice, who’s also killing it on guitar. And then, despite being confronted by your own sexism, and feeling pretty rotten about that, you’re also going to smile, because of the amount of sheer talent that resides within the Australian. So Living With Your Ghost is a great album, but might stir some stuff up.
Living With Your Ghost is well-produced. It’s got a solid sound that touches on folk- and blues-rock, as well as more straight-ahead pop. And Grainger has a strong voice, one that isn’t just big and resonant, but that is also nimble, allowing her to take songs to unexpected places via her vocals. But the slide guitar that complements many of the songs is the real surprise. As disciplined as she is vocally, her slide guitar work is wild. The title track is a perfect example of this, with a groove reminiscent of Sheryl Crow’s “My Favorite Mistake.” The organ powers the song as Grainger drives the song into a big, poppy chorus. But her frenetic slide solo pivots the song into a completely different direction. In fact, it takes a fairly catchy-yet-also-standard song and makes it rock.
Grainger plays with other genres on Living. There are some horns that give a few tracks a New Orleans funk-feel. “You’re in New Orleans,” unsurprisingly, is one of those songs. Here Grainger sings with singer/songwriter Andrew Duhon, the two voices playing tag behind bombastic, almost circus-like horns that will remind you of Dylan being backed by The Band. “Groove Train” also features a funky rhythm and big horns, but resolves into a huge, singable chorus. There are a few folkier moments, too. “Broken Record” and “Nobody But You” have a very 90’s vibe, the latter track reminiscent of (Dawson’s Creek trigger warning) Paula Cole’s “I Don’t Want to Wait.” But the album’s strongest moments are when Grainger’s voice and slide guitar are front-and-center. On “Love Will Get You Through,” Grainger crafts a bluesy, down-home sound, keeping things loose, creating the energy of a live performance. On “Freedom Song,” Grainger gets downright experimental, with creepy, atmospheric slide work and slow, bluesy, intense vocals. The song is a challenging but ultimately rewarding listen.
Grainger covers a lot of ground, genre-wise, on Living With Your Ghost. She has such a powerful voice, it’s easy to ignore her guitar work (or, if you’re like some people, to assume someone else performed it), but the songs featuring that amazing voice over her wild slide have a unique sound. Most singers that good wouldn’t want a guitar player going nuts like that and most guitar players that good would be intimidated by a voice like Grainger’s. Having both talented musicians inhabiting the same body makes for a great album.
