An Ounce Of Gold
Greywood, 2020
8/10
The songwriting moniker of Sweden’s James Auger, as A Choir Of Ghosts the troubadour channels the spirit of Kurt Cobain as well as the vivid storytelling of Tallest Man On Earth for this very well crafted debut album.
After the ambient and cinematic “Intro” sets the mood, “Sinner In Rapture” follows with smooth, expressive vocals from Auger that soar alongside the majestic instrumentation that recruits both synth and percussion strategically.
Deeper tracks like the highly melodic “An Ounce Of Gold” present strong indie-folk prowess complete with a violin, while “Southwest Of The Moon” trims the volume back to a bare, acoustic and heartfelt strummer. “The Water” is the closest Auger will get to balladry as the true scope of his pipes guide the folksy sparseness.
Near the end, “Human” stays soft and agile with its eloquent, emotive song craft, and “The Taste Of Smoke” exits on a high note, as poetic wordplay runs parallel to the sophisticated instrumentation.
An autobiographical effort where James wrote and performed all the tracks, the Canadian producer Terry Benn helped bring these stories to life, and did a hell of a job illuminating the massive skill from Auger. An excellent starting point, A Choir Of Ghosts is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Travels well with: Ben Howard- Noonday Dream; Damien Jurado- In The Shape Of A Storm