REVIEW: Crumbling Ghost - Four
- Danielle Henderson
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
With their fourth release, aptly named Four, the whirlwind that is CRUMBLING GHOST present a haunting series of narratives under the fuzz of heavy stoner rock. Over the course of their musical endeavours they had stayed true to the folk-esque sound, but have experimented with other subtle elements. It has been ten years now since the band had their third release, titled Five Songs, which is exactly that. In that time they have accrued a dedicated following and have made appearances at the likes of heavy music festival Roadburn and shared the stage with the legendary HAWKWIND and the late DAMO SUZUKI, known for being the vocalist of CAN in the 70s. Alongside this they have been mentioned by Radio 6 Music’s Stuart Maconie and Tom Ravenscroft, and also featured on Stewart Lee’s blog back in 2011.
Nowadays there are quite a few folk and heavy sounding groups about, but none do it quite like CRUMBLING GHOST do. Their arrangements are bursting with charm and despair in equal measures. Vocalist Katie Harnett has a bright voice, and the contrast with the subject matter of the lyrics adds a bit of an edge which is unmissable.
Four is structured much like their other projects, a collection of reimagined traditional folk songs, and newly written tunes by the band. The construction of their sound melds so well, unless you were familiar with the traditional songs, you wouldn’t even notice their origin by sound alone. Their tone, however, are very as you’d expect of the time they were written; stories of murder, betrayal, and grief.
Beginning with Bows of London, the eerie tale of two sisters, one pushes the other into the water and watches as she drowns. From the get go there’s a low drone giving a sense of foreboding as the tale unfolds. As the guitars crash in, you know you’re in for a treat. The story continues under layers of fuzziness until it doesn’t and you’re left to wallow in the instrumentals. The progression of the chords and the atmosphere it builds is incredibly satisfying to listen to.
Bill Norrie is deceptive with its jaunty melody, whilst it tells the story of Bill Norrie, who sends a token to a married woman, and upon finding out, her husband beheads poor Bill Norrie, only to find out he was actually the son of his wife from a previous affair. The imagery conjured of a woman cradling her son’s head as she says “I love this head more than all my kith and kin,” after her husband has just thrown it to her saying “Catch this ball!” is not one you’d soon forget about. Between the verses there’s a surge of doom-charged guitars that sounds great and suits the intention of the song perfectly. For a little breather, the next track is an instrumental. Valtz Efter Tor Lohne is originally a Norwegian tune which roughly translates to “The boy that wouldn’t hoe corn.” The concept of a melody that sounds like it was made for an orchestra, being played by modern guitars in a rock style is fascinating. Obviously the group as a whole, but particularly the guitarists John Mosley and Donny Hopkins, deserve all of the praise for sharing this with us.
More stories unravel as we move onto Lovely Joan, about a woman who avoids an altercation using her quick wit against a nobleman and comes out of it with his ring and horse. Gower Wassail is clever in the way the guitars seem to punctuate Harnett’s words in this Welsh originating track with roots in other bands such as THE WATERSONS, a folk group from Hull. CRUMBLING GHOST aren’t new to this particular song either, they performed Gower Wassail in 2017 in a stunning interpretation that makes a studio recording all the more special and immortalised. There’s no part of this that isn’t worth talking about. From the fuzzy bass by Ruth O’Loughlin and precision on the percussion by Matthew Atkins it is worth every second from your ears.
Last Of All Sleep has a grunge-y feel to it, almost laid back in tone compared to the others on the album. It is a welcome addition though, the hazy effect it has, the softness and fuzziness as you listen allows you to step back and take it all in. To close we have The Unquiet Grave, the longest of the album, but that can only be a positive. The mesmerising scratchy repetitive riffs dance around for over half of the playtime, then Harnett’s voice rings in to share a grim tale of a man so overcome with the grief of his dead wife that he interrupts her sleep and tries to join her. Doomy guitars and wails grow evermore sinister to match the song’s contents, bringing a gristly ending to Four.
Four is a collection of songs that will surprise you. You’ll think you have heard it all with the amount of stoner folk bands emerging over the years, but CRUMBLING GHOST offer an authentic alternative with a rich voice and multi-faceted accompaniments rooted in the lesser known traditional folk sounds, bringing them a new life and audience.
Score: 8/10
Four will be released on 7th August 2026 via New Heavy Sounds
Words: Danielle Henderson
Photos: Ryan McClelland and Hannah Cheesbrough
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