‘Ghost on the Car Radio’ is one of those titles which conjured an instant air of nostalgia; vague enough to be abstract, tangible enough to have the capacity to resonate in some way almost universally. The album’s 12 songs work in a similar way: Cleaves’ tales and little slices of life are solid, crafted chunks of Americana. Classic country tropes are all executed with a level of detail and colour that breathes life into the various characters, the everypeople of America, blue-collar workers, the down at heal, the depressed, the drunk, the lovelorn…
Despite the hints of nostalgia, Cleaves isn’t one for dewy-eyed sentimentality. There’s something grainy and gritty beneath the easy-going tunes, and it’s this extra depth That makes ‘Ghost on the Car Radio’ a cut above.
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