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ghostdance jessamine
Artist: Ghost Dance
Title: Jessamine
Genre: Goth / Alternative
Release Date: 26th October 2022
Label: Voltage Records


Single Review

GHOST DANCE has released a new single ‘Jessamine’ ahead of their appearance at Tomorrow’s Ghosts - the famous bi-annual Goth festival in the picturesque, seaside village of Whitby, UK. For any Goths who were around in the mid to late 80s, GHOST DANCE need little introduction. The band rolled out wave after wave of dance floor hits like ‘Down to the Wire’ and ‘River of no Return'’- earning them their place in the hall of fame, as one of the most successful and popular of British Alternative / Goth bands - far beyond the boundaries of their native West Yorkshire.

Formed originally by Anne Marie Hurst (vocals) of SKELETAL FAMILY and Gary Marx (from the SISTERS OF MERCY), GHOST DANCE has retained loyal fans and an army of followers who were nicknamed “The Spook Squad.” In 2019, the band was revived by Anne Marie - with a new line up of Tim Walker, Phil Noble, Dave Wood from HARLEQUYN and eventually Stephen Derrig from ORIGINAL SIN. The new incarnation has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm, with the band playing in packed out venues all over the UK - like the Lending Room in Leeds. I confess that I myself was more of a casual listener, I would dance to GHOST DANCE in clubs like the Phono but didn't really follow the band back then. I saw them at The Wardrobe, Leeds in 2020 and they completely blew me away! I was like: “Why didn’t I listen to more of their stuff years ago?”

Jessamine starts at a more moderate pace than the GHOST DANCE that I remember - like ‘River of no Return’. This, however, is the ideal opportunity for Anne Marie to demonstrate her vocal talents - accompanied by a bluesy base. The song picks up tempo though towards the end of the verse, before bursting into the chorus. “Jessamine, seven seconds high” - it’s simple and catchy. The words linger in your mind long after the track has finished. If I close my eyes, this could be Deborah Harry circa 1980 (apart from the lack of Manhattan drawl). ‘Jessamine’ is a gorgeous song and I’m sure that those lucky people who get to see this performed live this weekend in Whitby are in for a treat. Everyone else will - I’m reliably informed - be able to stream it on all platforms. I can imagine this would go down just as well unplugged in an acoustic rendition. I imagine Anne Marie and the rest of the band must be immensely proud of Jessamine - as well they should be. They are working on a new album and if Jessamine is a taste of that, then we can expect great things from it.

If you like female-fronted Gothic-Rock tunes with a sweet rhythm and memorable chorus, this is for you.


Tracklist

01. Jessamine


Line-up

Anne Marie Hurst – Vocals
Tim Walker – Guitar
Stephen Derrig – Guitar
Phil Noble – Bass
Dave Wood – Drums


Website

https://www.ghost-dance.co.uk/


Cover Picture

ghostdance jessamine


Rating

Music: 9
Sound: 9
Total: 9 / 10


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