Written: 22nd May 2024
It has been eight years since Nine Stones Close released the remarkable album, Leaves. During the intervening time, the members of the band have all busied themselves with other projects and it seemed like it may be some time before the band might reconvene. However, following a creative streak that began in the Spring of 2023, Nine Stones Close have announced the release of two albums in 2024. Yesterday, the band released the first single – Ghosted – from the first of the two albums – Diurnal.
For those familiar with Nine Stones Close, Ghosted – a track written by guitarist and driving force behind the band, Adrian Jones – falls into the area of the slower and introspective tracks of which they are so capable. It begins with the steady almost sleepy drumming of Lars Spijkervet until he is joined by the resplendently gorgeous, picked guitar of Jones in a style that is unmistakably his own. Evoking a sense of presence and absence, visibility and invisibility, Ghosted is marvellously constructed throughout. Vocalist Adrian ‘Aio’ O’Shaughnessy, begins the lamenting narrative with a haunting question. Shadows everywhere / Did you see her? There is a pervasive feeling of something or someone lurking just out of sight or on the periphery of perception and the suggestion that there are people seeking attention or recognition that are being overlooked or ignored. O’Shaughnessy is a gifted singer and is perfectly at home with the range of deliveries that being a member of Nine Stones Close demands. Here, his pained elongated pronunciation of each word adds to the feeling of uneasiness and deep-seated longing as he furthers his tale of those in society who feel unseen or unrecognised despite being a part of it. She's hiding in in plain sight / reaching hands toward the light.
There is a glorious depth to the sonic tones of Ghosted which is partially crafted by the luscious bass soundscapes of Jones on bass and Joachim van Praagh on double bass. With deliberate, well-chosen steps, the duo – along with Spijkervert - move the track gently forward with a dichotomous feeling of dark sedation and purposeful intent which creates a slightly hypnotic sway to the overall tone. Lyrically, Adrian Jones is a master of understatement and always allows the listener the opportunity to interpret the words in their own way. Mirroring the first verse, the second shifts the genre of the unnoticed figure suggesting that this experience is one that can affect us all. Shadows everywhere / Did you see him? / Trying to catch your eye / As you turn and pass him by.
The guitar solo that forms the central section of the song is stunningly elegant and magnificently refined. Adrian Jones inhabits the same world as guitarists such as David Gilmour and Steve Rothery in that, while they are all more than capable of playing with power and vibrancy when they so wish, their true mastery lies in the use of colour, character and emotion. Heartbreakingly poignant, Jones’ solo continues and intertwines between the words of the final verse with elegiac emotion. We’re all one step away / From the shadows / Did you see her?
Like all of the band’s material, Ghosted improves and reveals more of its secrets with each listen. It initially appears deceptively simple but the nuanced layers of each instrument - including the elegant keyboard contributions from Brendan Eyre – ensnare the listener as the song unfolds. The return of Nine Stones Close is a welcome one and Ghosted is a beautifully restrained and enthralling track, which will appeal to fans of Pink Floyd, Marillion and similarly imaginative progressive rock and neo-prog acts.
Ghosted is currently available on watch on YouTube below.
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