New York-based Dubliner
Mark Geary delivers an extraordinary sophomore album with
Ghosts. Drawing on
Jeff Buckley,
Nick Drake and
Elliott Smith,
Geary's music has commercial reach, boasting the same sort of allure that helped make
David Gray a household word. "Beautiful" is warm, evocative banjo-tinged pop, while "You're the Only Girl" has a soulful vocal line and a lilting,
Paul McCartney-esque shuffle. Hushed in their presentation,
Geary's ballads and subtle rock songs -- like the thumping, edgy title cut -- come directly from the heart. If the eight-and-a-half minute meditation "Hold Tight" runs on too long, it is
Geary's only misstep here. With such pointedness and the strong songwriting ability he puts on display with
Ghosts,
Geary's ascent can't be too far off. ~ John D. Luerssen