ALBUM REVIEW: Gifts From The Holy Ghost – Dorothy
Gifts From The Holy Ghost, the third studio album from US hard rockers DOROTHY, was born out of a divine awakening. Following the release of 2016’s Rockisdead and 2018’s 28 Days In The Valley, the band were on tour when their guitar technician died from an overdose on their tour bus. Dorothy Martin – lead singer of DOROTHY– prayed for his survival, and miraculously he was restored to life. This caused Martin to have a spiritual awakening, one from which Gifts From The Holy Ghost was born.
The album comprises ten songs and kicks off with heavy guitar riffs and Martin‘s powerhouse voice in opener Beautiful Life. The lyrics speak of appreciating life for what it is, and it is an empowering message that speaks to all. Big Guns follows and echoes the instrumentation of the previous song, this time with added gusto. The electric guitar is prominent in the background, driving the song along.
Third track Rest In Peace sounds like it should belong on the soundtrack to a Western film. This is appropriate because previous songs from their first two albums have been in TV shows and on video game soundtracks. The song is different to the previous songs, because it sounds more country-influenced. If anything however, this shows that DOROTHY can spread their talent into other genres, and it does not affect the pacing of the album.
On Top Of The World sounds like it could be an ARCTIC MONKEYS B-side, but this is not a bad thing. The swaggering alt-rock takes influences from the previous song. Even though the sounds are different, the album builds upon the sound instead of slowing the pacing down. This is mainly thanks to Chris Lord-Alge, who produced the album. He is perhaps best known for being the mixing engineer on American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, both by GREEN DAY. However, for anyone who is worried that this album is going to sound like GREEN DAY, fear not. This is definitely a DOROTHY record.
Hurricane is a swinging blues-rock song, whereas Close To Me Always is a slow song that – despite being sixth on the album track list – does not slow down the pacing of the album. In fact, it allows Martin‘s vocals to be front and centre, which is not different from any other songs, but this song really lets her shine. Black Sheep is a heavy rock song that blows all the other songs on the album out of the water. It is the highlight of the album, and everything about it is perfect, from the vocals to the instruments.
In conclusion, Gifts From The Holy Ghost is a gift itself. It is raw, has fantastic production and instruments, and Martin is a brilliant singer. This album builds upon the previous albums, and it has an infectious energy that will make you want to get up and dance. DOROTHY have proven that they are a force to be reckoned with and are here to stay. This album is like a phoenix risen from the ashes, and it is glorious.
Rating: 9/10
Gifts From The Holy Ghost is set for release on April 22nd via Spinefarm Records.
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