Galahad: The Long Goodbye

If Galahad’s previous album, The Last Great Adventurer, centred round a track which paid tribute to the father of the band’s singer Stu Nicholson, so its quick-fire follow up moves that story on somewhat. The Long Goodbye, as its title suggests, is a song about the all too familiar slide of a loved one into dementia and not just how that impacts on those around them, but also how the person with the affliction feels inside. Love, loss, confusion, compassion and helplessness explored with a real poignancy from both sides of the impervious wall dementia builds. Sadly it’s a story very close to home for Nicholson and the hero of his band’s previous album and therefore it should be no surprise that it’s a tough topic handled with real care and insight. Musically, the flurry of ever changing emotions are conveyed with as much skill as the words, with a mix of slow segments of longing and searching interspersed with some less clear passages that seem to fuzz the here and now into a confusion of ideas and sounds. Juxtaposed against that is the clarity within the confusion, whether that be the moments of lucidity or the confidence of the confused as the feel so sure of who they are in that second even if they can be less certain of anything else. Not many bands merge these ideas into a coherent song that still remains both engaging and invigorating, but the glance into the depths of emotions here is never allowed to become overbearing for the listener even when the sentiments conveyed are as clear and crisp as a cold morning sky. It’s also maybe no coincidence that the song is, unlucky for some, exactly 13 minutes long.

On the CD version of the album this title track closes things out proper before a brief pause and a couple of bonus tracks slip into view. On the vinyl version it is a fitting and breathtaking end. However, what comes before isn’t just here to make up numbers with the Galahad trademark of refusing to play to type still strongly in evidence. Once more teaming up with Karl Groom behind the production desk, you can also be assured that The Long Goodbye sounds utterly fantastic but I’d suggest that the Threshold man plays a part in the direction of opening cut “Behind The Veil Of A Smile�. The rich keyboard work from Dean Baker and strident guitars from Lee Abraham giving more than a vague hint of Groom’s main band. It’s a look that very much suits Galahad for the brief moments they wear it, but with a much more dramatic keyboard solo and the unmistakable kit-work from Spencer Luckman, the overall flavour remains resolutely Galahad.

With the Empires Never Last album long being a favourite of mine, the reprise of lyrics from that album’s title track as “The Righteous And The Damned� wanders into view is very welcome amid the sounds of much activity in what feels like a station or busy square. From there Nicholson gently nah-nah’s out a very traditional Jewish music sounding melody as he is slowly joined by accordion, handclaps and violin. Recorded prior to the current troubles reignited in the Middle East, the mood and tone of the constant outside meddling in the affairs of a part of the world which has never once benefited from them could never be more poignant. Again, this message is proffered in a way that allows you to pull in your own thoughts and draw your own conclusions but never forget that what is sown today is reaped tomorrow…for better or for worse.

Although some moments across the three aforementioned songs are ebullient and energetic, as a rule they are maybe more subdued than recent Galahad outings, which the more obviously bright and melodic “Everything’s Changed� balances out through a bulging Mark Spencer bass line and bold Lee Abraham riff, but even as we reach the chorus, there’s an air of melancholy to be found. It’s undoubtedly a theme that runs right through this album.

With clattering drums and, in its intro, keys to the fore “Shadow In The Corner� is this outing’s most instant moment, Nicholson’s easy but proud vocals instantly catching the ear, but then through the expertly handled guitar motifs and stabs, and the clever, ever evolving keyboard themes, there’s no lack of hooks to draw you in to a song where the pace feels much more brisk than it actually is. With those five songs making up the main album, I’d suggest that if ever there was an introspective Galahad release, then The Long Goodbye might, understandably, be it. And yet as the next instalment in this band’s story it remains unmistakably and unapologetically Galahad.

Interestingly, the two bonus tracks, which stretch to nearly 12 minutes between them, do feel a little less connected to the main event, with a bolder, more instantly ear-catching attack coming from the excellent “Dark Days� - a song that carries real weight and atmosphere. Whereas “Open Water� takes a darker turn through piano, strings and another stunning vocal where Stu has you hanging on his every word.

The Long Goodbye is a long grower of an album and one I’d guess that I’ll cherish more and more as I spend time with it. Not as initially impactful as some of Galahad’s work, the depth and scope of what’s been achieved here certainly should not be overshadowed by that notion and I’d guess long time familiarity will prove that to be very much the case.

Track Listing
1. Behind the Veil of a Smile 

2. Everything's Changed 

3. Shadow in the Corner 

4. The Righteous and the Damned

5. The Long Goodbye

CD bonus tracks:

6. Darker Days 

7. Open Water

Added: October 14th 2023
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Galahad online
Hits: 1959
Language: english

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