About Ghosts
| About Ghosts | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 13, 2025 | |||
| Studio |
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| Length | 44:08 | |||
| Label | Nonesuch | |||
| Producer | John Dieterich | |||
| Mary Halvorson chronology | ||||
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| Singles from About Ghosts | ||||
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About Ghosts is the fourteenth studio album by American avant-garde jazz composer Mary Halvorson. It was released on June 13, 2025, via Nonesuch in vinyl, CD and digital formats.[1]
Background
[edit]Consisting of eight tracks ranging between five and seven minutes each excluding "Polyhedral", with a total runtime of approximately forty-four minutes, the album was produced by Deerhoof guitarist John Dieterich.[2] The album was recorded on June 20–21, 2024 at Sear Sound in New York City, mixed in Minneapolis, and mastered at Masterdisk in Peekskill, New York.[3]
It features instrument contributions from Halvorson's Amaryllis sextet in their third collaboration together,[1] alongside saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles.[4] It succeeds Halvorson's previous project, Cloudward, which was released in 2024.[2]
The first single, "Carved From", was released on April 9, 2025, alongside a music video directed by Robert Edridge-Waks.[2]
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [5] |
| Financial Times | [6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| PopMatters | [1] |
Writing for the Quietus, Andrew Taylor-Dawson referred to the album as "a storming addition to Halvorson's catalogue," stating "it builds on her past work, expanding her oeuvre and balancing beauty with imagination and experimentation."[8] Financial Times assigned the album a rating of four stars, noting "In her latest release, About Ghosts, the improvised and pre-configured are perfectly aligned."[6] Reed Jackson of Spin commented about the album, "About Ghosts may invoke the departed, but it's very much alive," opining that "Halvorson's fondness for nested intricacies can act as a kind of subterfuge."[4]
PopMatters' Chris Ingalls noted about the album's predecessor that it "conveyed a sense of adventurous optimism", comparing it to About Ghosts and suggesting it reflected the same feeling. The album received a rating score of nine out of ten from the publication.[1] AllMusic gave About Ghosts a four-star rating, stating it "offers more proof that Halvorson's Amaryllis are among the most inventive, articulate, and creatively forward-thinking ensembles playing jazz right now."[5] The Guardian, also rating the album four stars, described the project as a "a kaleidoscopic blend of angular rhythms, intricate melodies and thrilling improvisations."[7]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Full of Neon" | 7:01 |
| 2. | "Carved From" | 5:28 |
| 3. | "Eventidal" | 6:18 |
| 4. | "Absinthian" | 4:57 |
| 5. | "About Ghosts" | 5:12 |
| 6. | "Amaranthine" | 7:28 |
| 7. | "Polyhedral" | 2:14 |
| 8. | "Endmost" | 5:30 |
| Total length: | 44:08 | |
Personnel
[edit]Credits for About Ghosts adapted from Bandcamp.[3]
- Adam O'Farrill – trumpet (1–8)
- Brian Settles – tenor saxophone (1–2, 5, 8)
- Immanuel Wilkins – alto saxophone (1–2, 4–5)
- Jacob Garchik – trombone (1–8)
- Mary Halvorson – guitar (1–8), synth (1–3, 8)
- Nick Dunston – bass (1–8)
- Patricia Brennan – vibraphone (1–8)
- Tomas Fujiwara – drums (1–8)
- John Dieterich – producer, mixing engineer
- Chris Allen – recording engineer
- Scott Hull – mastering engineer
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Ingalls, Chris (June 24, 2025). "Mary Halvorson Is Always Thrilling and Amazing". PopMatters. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b c DeVille, Chris (April 9, 2025). "Mary Halvorson Announces New Album About Ghosts Produced By Deerhoof's John Dieterich". Stereogum. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b "About Ghosts, by Mary Halvorson". Bandcamp. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Jackson, Reed (June 16, 2025). "Mary Halvorson Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts". Spin. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "About Ghosts – Mary Halvorson". AllMusic. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Hobart, Mike (June 21, 2025). "Mary Halvorson: About Ghosts album review — vibrant and original album from Macarthur genius". Financial Times. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ a b Fordham, John (May 30, 2025). "Mary Halvorson: About Ghosts review – restless beauty from jazz's shape-shifting guitarist". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 5, 2025.
- ^ Barry, Robert (June 13, 2025). "Mary Halvorson – About Ghosts". The Quietus. Retrieved July 5, 2025.