Personnel: Damien Jurado (piano, keyboards, drums); Amy E. Rockwell, Rosanne Thomas (vocals); David Bazan (piano, drums); Rose Wheeler (piano); Matt Johnson (drums).
Another strong collection of urban folk songs from Damien Jurado, Ghost of David builds on the gentle, friendly loneliness of Rehearsals for Departure and deepens it with a spiritual, often otherworldly feel. With the notable exception of "Paxil"'s bedroom-crafted rock, the album casts a reflective, melancholy spell, especially on "Great Today," "Tonight I Will Retire," "Walk With Me," and "Ghost in the Snow." However, Jurado lets rays of hope shine through on "Johnny Go Riding" and the title track, and songs like "Medication" and "Desert" showcase his conversational lyrics and delivery. A sweetly earnest version of "Rosewood Casket" adds another dimension to this contemplative, compelling album, which is Jurado's finest work yet. ~ Heather Phares
Professional Reviews
Q (1/01, p.111) - 4 out of 5 stars - "...A lovely and upsetting album..."
Alternative Press (11/00, p.114) - 4 out of 5 - "...A morbidly beautiful collection of songs about death and failure, dashed hopes and unrealized dreams..."
CMJ (10/00, p.49) - "...He turns song lyrics into carefully crafted prose....a perfectly realized folk album..."
No Depression (11-12/00, pp.122-3) - "...Fascniating stuff..."
Mojo (Publisher) (10/00, p.98) - "...Wonderful....barer and darker than his debut...songs about death, loss, winter, desperate lives. With a sound so spectral it makes Tom Joad's ghost look like Brando..."
NME (Magazine) (11/4/00, p.48) - 8 out of 10 - "...Jurado ploughs deep into the deceptively tranquil waters of the blue-collar American small-town day-to-day routine...at times sounding eerily like Nick Drake..."
