LET ME BE A GHOST

Deep Dive into the Dark Night of the Soul

PAIN OF SALVATION founder and leader is back with another solo release--this reaching really deep into his psyche.

1. "Let Me Be a Ghost - Pt. I" (3:39) spacious, tension-filled computer arpeggi over which Daniel sings in a plaintive voice--a voice that sounds as if he's at wit's end. The final minute is filled with what sounds like cave sounds and whisperings. Wow. What are we in for? (9/10)

2. "The Wind" (4:46) piano arpeggi joined by slower electric piano arpeggi. Daniel's voice joins in at 0:45--and then is seconded by himself before being joined by the ethereal, ghost-like voices of Ronja Gildenlöw and some computer-treated vocal tracks. Back to bare-bones piano and elec. piano at the end of the third minute for about 20 seconds before a full rock band and the full vocal ensemble kick in--sounding quite a lot like RESONAXIS's church-oriented prog. (8.5/10)

3. "Blame It All on Me" (4:57) sound very much like a classic LEONARD COHEN song--even down to the smokey café/lounge vocals and acoustic guitar. Part of me wants to laugh, part wants to take it like a Jacques Brel video from the 1975 film, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, only this is depressing. Daniel has done an admirable job catching a mood--a "period piece"--obviously intended to express the great mood of sarcasm of those European coffeehouse-style singers of the 50s and 60s. (8.5/10)

4. "Falling Floating Sinking" (5:02) opens with some ambient eerie electronica similar to those used by Mariusz Duda on his LUNATIC SOUL albums. When the vocal finally begins--deep into the second minute--it also sounds similar to a Mariusz--even into the chorus. At 3:28 the precarious quiet is broken wide open by some abrasive full-rock band chord play (with a bit of a Led Zeppelin feel to it), but everything calms back down for the final 25 seconds. (8.5/10)

5. "Fleeting Thought" (4:27) opens with some very familiar guitar chords/sounds from some of Daniel's classic Pain of Salvation albums of the early 21st Century. The multi-voice vocal development is also a bit reminiscent of some of those PoS songs. The bluesy chord progression and lead guitar play are, again, quite similar to 1970s LED ZEPPELIN (until Marcel Singor begins showing his modern prowess). Other than that, there is really very little development in this song. I don't like the sound effects used to create space on this one. (8.75/10)

6. "Fade Away" (5:31) Spanish guitar opens with electric and tuned percussion before another Leonard Cohen-like vocal enters. After the vocals finish around 1:30, a bluesy guitar solo ensues. There's quite a little PINK FLOYD The Wall feeling to this one. Nice tune. (8.75/10)

7. "Don't" (2:55) nylon string acoustic guitar picked and strummed over which Daniel sings in another raspy, whispery LEONARD COHEN/TOM WAITS-like performance. I really like the guitar sound and work here. I'm not sure this vocal styling has quite the effect that Daniel intends--whether or not his attempt to display his "Latin passion" is believable. Still, nice song. (8.75/10)

8. "Lean on Me" (5:09) Now here is something that sounds original! A little attempt at a Layne Staley vocal over some pizzicato-sounding solo bass picking. Nice vocal performances on the background vocal tracks by Daniel and Erna auf der Haar. A top three song for me. (9/10)

9. "Let Me Be a Ghost - Pt. II (3:43) cool instrumental that is atmospherics for the first half followed by piano arpeggi with heavy (and, later, light) electric guitar soloing over the top. Nice. (8.75/10)

10. "Still Enough" (5:16) electric piano MIDIed with tuned percussion lays down a poignant, almost eery child's lullaby over which Daniel eventually adds his deeply emotional whisper-vocal. Can a human bare his soul any more than this? Another top three song. Wow; devastatingly powerful. (9.25/10)

11. "Where I Ought to Be" (5:13) Spanish guitar and spacious background synth washes support Kristoffer's multi-track Mariusz Duda-like singing. There is, however, far more time dedicated to instrumental play here than singing; the singing just sets the scene for Kristoffer's emotion-packed expression through his multiple guitar and keyboard play. Drums join in for the final 90 seconds. Great song. Musically, probably my favorite on the album. (9.5/10)

12. "Let Me Be a Ghost - Pt. III" (3:31) the third revisitation to this plea for letting go. The spacious opening two minutes are affecting, but the full-band ramp up is really powerful. Another favorite. (9.25/10)

13. "Look at Me Now" (4:02) celestial sounds slowly moving through the soundscape, like clouds, for the first 1:25 before Kristoffer's scratchy, far-forward voice enters singing like with the poignancy and force of Leonard Cohen. (9/10)

Total Time 58:11

And incredibly deep, emotive, and stark journey into the dark night of the soul. Kristoffer's musical journey that Kristoffer takes me on reminds me of listening to cross between Leonard Cohen's deeper darkest music and Mariusz Duda's LUNATIC SOUL. The compositional and personal maturity exhibited here is extraordinary--with minimal layering or fills, a lot of stark arrangements with more tracks given to vocals than instrumentation--thus rendering greater the effectiveness on the listener's journey into darkness as despair.

B+/4.5 stars; a wonderfully emotional trip into the depths of human darkness that should be a welcome addition to any prog lover's music collection.

Born and raised in Sweden, multi-instrumentalist Kristoffer now lives in The Netherlands, playing in Kayak. Many people still think of him as being associated with his brother Daniel, and he played on the first six Pain of Salvation studio albums but since leaving in 2006 has built a reputation working with many different artists. 'Let Me Be A Ghost' is his fourth solo album, released towards the end of 2021, following on from 'Rust' (2012), 'The Rain' (2016) and 'Homebound' (2020). I reviewed the last, and I was intrigued at just how much at home he sounded with the one cover, Leonard Cohen's "Chelsea Hotel #2"

I many ways this is a logical extension of that album, as it is melancholic, and is something which really needs to be played on headphones. The songs are more like soundscapes, with a huge use of space and a slow tempo which really lets the listener into what in many ways feels likes quite a private world. Yes, there are a few additional singers and a drummer, but for the most part this is one person sat quietly, crafting something which is magical and mystical. "Lean On Me" is a case in point, gentle percussion, acoustic guitar, electric solo, and loads and loads of vocals including a wonderful high female from Erna auf der Haar who provides the perfect cut through.

This is not something designed to be played on the radio, nor can I imagine it ever being played in an arena, but is designed for small places, in the dark where the listener can really let their mind wander where it will. This is a marvellous piece of work and I look forward to the next album with great interest indeed.