Tanya Donnelly - 'Whiskey Tango Ghosts' (4AD)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
If sirens not only sounded so enticing but also lost that nagging threat of dragging you onto a rockier path, they might sound a little like this. Where Donnelly has a voice that suggests at times of soulful weariness, eyes that have seen a good deal of the wide spectrum of human experience, here, there is nothing to fear. The tales that mention the dark are cautionary rather than dangerous. The ones that bask in the light are longingly delightful. Go on, sail closer.
'Whiskey Tango Ghosts' is a record that can alter a mood, which is a testament to its strength. Whatever state of mind you start to listen to this in, if you persist to its end (the typically lazy but gorgeous 'Fallout'), you'll likely find yourself on the same calming, reflective plateau from which these songs play as Donnelly did in their composition. There's no pace, no worry, no abrasion - just a journey down a path that may be well-trodden, but seeing as we're holding the hand of an expert on our way, this won't be something that will particularly matter.
Because these tunes will keep you company, we suspect, for a good long time to come. 'My Life As A Ghost' for example, is not only memorable to the extent of warranting airplay in your mind for good portions of the day, but addictive enough to ensure repeated visits to it's plush, moving surroundings. Equally glorious efforts aren't hard to discover, be they the tender soulfulness of 'The Centre', the bleak shuffle of 'The Promise' or inviting piano caress of an opening 'Divide Sweet Divide'.
If viewed individually, only the most bitter of people would call any one of these songs anything other than beautiful (and if anyone doesn't like 'Butterfly Thing', then they simply don't deserve your time). They're all sumptuously lovely, tender, warm ballads that should at all times stir feelings that although have the capacity to be sombre, can remind anyone willing to listen of the more charming things in life as well.
But when every single track tries to soothe us so gently with tales of beauty and love, as a whole 'Whiskey Tango Ghosts' can momentarily come across as losing a little sincerity, not because there's anything about it that isn't genuine (we don't doubt this for one second - here is a voice that you couldn't imagine uttering even the whitest of lies), but because in amongst so much light, there's little to remind us of the shadows. Admittedly we're mostly talking in sonic terms here, as there are tales abound of things involving less than consistent happiness, but when it all sounds so pleasant, even these can get a little lost. The album retains a level of a very restrained dynamic throughout; very rarely do we see more than the sparse instrumentation of either an acoustic guitar or lone piano accompanying Donnelly's haunting voice.
It seems odd however to complain, considering the musicianship is this admirably restrained, the tunes this accomplished and the voice this superbly delicate. We're not doubting how exemplary it is at being soothing. That little more in the way of bite however, and it'd be even sweeter when it kissed us better.
Artists in this article: Tanya Donnelly
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