This release is the projects first release on highly respected & long running UK independent label Cherry Red( in conjunction with MVD). It comes in two formats- either a CD, or a 12 inch vinyl release. I’m reviewing the CD version of the album. And it's great to see that it’s getting a nice classy presentation from the label- with the CD coming in a CD sized hardback book, which is similar to the releases Mute put out of the bands work in the early 2000’s.  In the thirty two page glossy page booklet you get a selection of texts- taking in details of each train crash covered, full lyrics & related texts. As well as a good selection of  monochrome photos- and these take in pictures of the wreaks aftermath, along with a selection of pictures of  The Residents in their classic eyeball & top hat look, interacting with downed trains. It’s so nice to see the project releases getting the love, care, and depth they deserver- as with The Residents, the concept & it’s details is virtual & important to making their work come alive.

Anyway enough about the packaging- let’s get down the albums sonic fruits. The Ghost Of Hope takes in seven tracks in all, and these have running times between four & nine minutes.  With a total album running time of forty seven minutes- so it’s not the most lengthy of albums, though it’s surely packed with host of varied sonic approaches & different genres- blending together pretty much ever side of the projects sound from their forty plus year existence, plus a few new ones.

The first minute or so of the albums opener “Horrors Of The Night”  makes one think you might have put in a field recording release by error. As you hear the sound of twittering birds, then the hissing of steam, train track judders, and  old train engine sounds. But slow-yet-surely under these sounds we get a bouncing & macabrely jaunting electronica elements rising. Then the main singing Resident’s voice kicks in semi narration/ singing about the details of a crash between Rochester & Pittsburgh in July 1883. To start with the track has a very churning like train feel to it, but ever so often we thin back to blends of electro vibe harmonics, cut-ups electro textures, & darkly moody piano fills. So straight out of the door you can hear the project have put a lot of time & effort building, blending & detailing the albums soundscapes. And just when you think you’ve got the whole thing pegged, we get a cacophony of crashing train sounds- leaving the singing Resident for a moment on his own before dropping back. Then we drift into a mix of felt piano notation & sadly  shimmering ambience- fairly soon this is joined  female spoken word section, which is recounting the rescue of women’s child from the train wreak.  It’s a great opener, highlighting the albums themes, and the whole things impressive & often shifting sonic scope.

From here on each track sees the project focusing in on a different train crash. And each sees them a create shifting- yet wonderfully tooled sonic landscapes, that are detailed in both the drama & tragedy of train crashes- all severed up in that distinctively Resident way. Over the albums tracks (& sometimes with-in tracks) we musically move from:  swaying country guitar meets moody malevolent string & percussion simmers.  Onto bounding blends of punishing- near-run away rock music & blunt drum pummelling’s. Over to chopping ethnic tinged electronics & synth. Through to angular-yet oddly grooving blends of off-colour horns stabs, on/off bombastic beats, & controlled avant string shimmers. Onto mixes of jerking ‘n’ snaking ethnic exotic electro percussion, elephant  sound samples, and screaming-yet epic later day Resident guitar work. Though to mournful- yet percussion skittering blends of melancholic electro rock & off-kilter theatrical song-craft.

Vocally the album is most varied too, going from the wordy-yet-semi sung with backing vocals, onto surprising emotional & harmonic, through to more moody spoken word, onto to more stage show sing-song like.

On my first few plays though I did think the album maybe seemed a little too dark in it’s disturbing & macabre lyrics, but as I’ve played it through more I’ve picked up the subtle traces of humour & pathos running through the album. Though I guess due to the subject matter, it still stands as one the projects more dark & troubling albums.

In conclusion The Ghost Of Hope stands as one of The Residents more layered, varied, and wholly accomplished albums in say the last ten-to-twenty years. As it mangers to blend a host of different sonic styles & disciplines, to create a highly cohesive, yet often troubling work about human tragedy, loss & train wreaks.