Here’s what people are saying about Lusitanian Ghosts:
“Lusitanian Ghosts impressively channel tools of the past to create a beautiful sonic vision for us listeners now. Innovative in their use of traditional instruments to make clearly modern pop-rock, this music is upbeat, quirky, feels familiar and is catchy as hell. The fact that this is entirely performed with traditional instruments is mind-boggling” ~ Big Takeover Magazine
“Highly melodic and sonically great with applaudable production, for music performed with classical instruments, this is a pertinent, contemporary collection of songs that is full dignity, the artists’ remaining true to their values and ethics” ~ Amplify Music Magazine
“Warms the heart and nourishes the soul… a crooning catharsis, a rush of adrenalin, that gleams and mediates whilst chasing utopian fantasies through the interval of stripped down acoustics and clapping beats” ~ The Manc Review
And also…!
Through the velvet vocals and smooth delivery, “Soul Deranium” glides under the glitter and gold of glam rock, whilst preening under art-rock skies. It’s a sublime track (…) like Bryan Ferry meets Marc Bolan in a forest of wild dreams. – Manc Review
“Past Laurels” is a catchy gem that wouldn’t be out of place on Pulp’s Different Class. – Paste Magazine
Experimentalism is alive and well in pop music today, and nowhere is it being exhibited with more catharsis and genuine dedication than in Lusitanian Ghosts. If you’re a fan of provocative, intellectually stimulating rock music, this is a must-listen album that I highly recommend.
– Mindy McCall, No Depression
“You don’t need a degree in music (or ancient history) to appreciate the sonic riches of Lusitanian Ghosts, the Portuguese-Canadian collective of stringed-instrument musicians. You can bask in the richness of their sound without knowing a Beiroa from an upright bass. All you need is to hear the group play “Past Laurels” and you will be enticed into learning more. In a nutshell, Lusitanian Ghosts make modern masterpieces using rare (even medieval) instruments. The result is a mystifying sound you simply cannot find anywhere else. Even their band name is taken from ancient soil, as Lusitania was what the Romans called the region where this group began. Just don’t expect them to sound like they’re from Portugal. Frontman Neil Leyton returned to his birth city in 2008 after living in Toronto and London, so the band’s sound is unmistakably Canadian. It’s a guitar-driven, heady rock-pop anthem with unexpected lyrical references (“Encyclopedia Brittanica” and “idealistic futurism”, anyone?) that work. Don’t be deceived by the low-key beginning here: “Past Laurels” has plenty of bite.” – The Revue, Canada
It sizzles with harmonic flavors kicking out embers of sonic sparks. “Past Laurels” is indubitably excellent. Leyton’s voice radiates tumescent passion as the music builds, pauses, and then mousses up to actinic levels. This is a great song! If the rest of the album is half as good, it promises to be one of the best of the year. – Randall Radic, Blog Critics