Reviewed by Paddy Hudspith

Its sleeve art refers to Ed Englerth's 'Restless Ghost' as a collection of 13 "moody intelligent folk jazz blues" tracks, and (not for want of trying) I couldn't come up with a better description! Englerth (vocals, guitars and founding member of LAB - Linear Action Band) and his bandmates Don Cheeseman (bass), Alan Dunst (drums) and Bob Hartis (saxophone) display consistently impressive musicianship across a generally mellow, slightly melancholic selection. This is certainly late night music that occasionally displays a moody gothic sensibility. Take the title track for example, chilling campfire yarn as metaphor for lifelessness: "Blood would drip if there were any left/The old tales of a restless ghost." Other highlights for me were the haunting "I Forgot Who I Am" featuring backing vocals from Ray White (Frank Zappa and Zappa Plays Zappa) and a stunning sax improvisation from Hartig at its close, and the up-tempo yet subtle "I'm Gone" with its hints of reggae. This is a fascinating release with bags of heart and integrity and deserves wider recognition than just the underground buzz that it will no doubt generate.