Saint Raymond
Ghosts
May 12 2014 (Asylum)
7.5/10
Words: Alison Mack
For a guy who's but 19 years of age, Nottingham singer/songwriter Callum Burrows, better known as Saint Raymond, isn't one for wasting time. Having already played live dates with the likes of Bruce Springsteen and
Haim, self-released his debut EP, 'Escapade' last year and follow-up 'Young Blood' this January, and achieved a fair amount of acclaim along the way - all within less than 12 months - he is now on to the release of his third EP, ‘Ghosts’.
The four-track work includes live favourite - and a former 'hottest record in the world' of Zane Lowe's - ‘Everything She Wants’, as well as a live recording of 'English Rose' from Maida Vale studios which was done as part of a live session for Lowe. The former with its jangly guitar riffs and blissed-out electronic melody and bassline, is already sounding like a Saint standard. ‘English Rose’, on the other hand, a covet of the Paul Weller penned track, takes down the pace to be the more subdued acoustic breather of the collection.
Heart-filled ‘Brighter Days’ begins on a lighter, packed with bright and breezy guitar chords that here make for a Vampire Weekend similarity. There's an Afro vocal inflection here, which with the summer vibe rhythm of the song, makes one already visualise swaying bodies in shorts and wellies, hands aloft, as they groove along to this in a muddy field somewhere.
Title track 'Ghosts' is evidence enough (if it were still needed) to show there is all the swoonsome appeal and accomplished lyrical style - on here "I’ll be right round/darling won’t you keep me warm" - to see young Mr. Burrows breaking hearts and winning even more adulation to add to his already impressive record output.
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