Ghost Carnival – Saudi Shakes (Album Review)

Ghost Carnival’s album Saudi Shakes is a hypnotic blend of roots-folk storytelling and atmospheric world music, anchored by the evocative voice and Spanish guitar of Cambridge-based songwriter Alex Machell.

This collection of songs, born out of a long creative gestation and interrupted studio plans during the pandemic, feels raw and meticulously crafted. Each track unfolds like a scene from a forgotten film, it’s moody, reflective, and steeped in a dusty elegance.

The album opens with “Overboard,” a delicate, emotional invitation into Machell’s world. It begins with a lone Spanish guitar, soon joined by his silky vocals. The track builds in intensity, but never overwhelms, preferring to smoulder rather than burn outright. The outro circles back to its quiet beginnings, a full-circle moment that sets the tone for the album’s cyclical structure.

“Saving Grace” shifts gears slightly, with an upbeat edge and a clearer sense of rhythm. Machell’s raspy delivery brings a rock sensibility to the folk foundations, offering something reminiscent of Nick Mulvey. It’s guitar-heavy and rhythmically rich, showing early on that this album refuses to stay in one lane.

The first instrumental, “Pastures Skewed,” follows a slow fade-in of drums and guitar that feels intimate and immersive. Without lyrics, the track leans heavily on mood and texture, and it works. The absence of vocals gives listeners a moment to breathe and absorb.

“Just Out of Aflou” introduces a Saudi-inspired shift in tone. This brief, atmospheric piece acts almost like an intermission, a sonic detour that hints at the album’s broader geographical and emotional range.

“Ghosts” is the album’s heart. It’s long, slow, and utterly captivating. Here, perhaps Machell is leaning into Appalachian folk influences, building a landscape with just guitar, voice, and ambient vocal flourishes. It feels like a spiritual journey, the kind of song you’d want playing as you ride horseback through the desert at sundown.

“Still the Same Day” brings a darker, bluesier energy. The vocals are more assertive here, breaking away from the introspection of earlier tracks. When the guitar drops out mid-song and leaves Machell’s voice exposed, it’s a moment of stripped-down vulnerability that hits hard.

From here, the album begins a series of interspersed short instrumentals, such as “Over-Shoulder Glance,” “Tail Across the Square,” “Overbackwoods,” and “Alleyway Chase”, that act as palate cleansers. They’re never filler. Each one adds a unique emotional beat, like visual montages in a film, separating and enhancing the longer, more narrative-heavy pieces.

“Clock of Fools” dips into sorrow and weariness, a slow builder with a subtle payoff. While it may not grab attention immediately, the second half proves worth the wait, especially with its intricate guitar work and restrained emotional arc.

“Come In, Echo Bravo” is the album’s most cinematic track. It evokes post-apocalyptic imagery, something that could easily belong on a Last of Us soundtrack. It’s dark, poetic, and quietly powerful. I would argue that it’s the emotional centrepiece of the record.

“Searching Heroes” stretches out again, allowing the album to breathe. It’s a slow-burn triumph that shifts from introspective calm to soaring finale, proving once again that Machell excels when given space to explore. It’s one of the most affecting tracks here, it’s haunting, expansive, and unforgettable.

The album ends with “Outpost,” a perfect curtain call. Opening with a thunderstorm, it slowly unfolds into a melancholy guitar melody layered over ambient rain. The nature sounds persist until the very end, grounding the album’s spiritual highs in something elemental and real. It feels like the credits rolling on a story that, while deeply personal, resonates far beyond the self.

SCORE/Outstanding – Saudi Shakes is a remarkable album, one that doesn’t just entertain, but transports. Ghost Carnival has crafted something timeless and placeless, rooted in folk but branching into something far more cinematic and borderless. It’s not just an album, it’s a journey.

[We rank singles, EPs, and albums on a scale of Poor, Mediocre, Good, Excellent, and Outstanding]

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