Debut solo album with bright and engaging songs.
Boulder Fields is the working name of Edinburgh songwriter and musician Cam Fraser. Although he has long been a familiar figure on the Scottish music scene, an earlier band even supporting Nirvana, ‘With All The Other Ghosts’ is his first album as a solo musician. Bright and engaging, the album showcases a strong set of songs played in an acoustic style that draws together musical styles from his native Scotland, west coast America and throws in a pinch of melancholic indie for good measure.
Overseen by Richie Werner, ‘With All The Other Ghosts’ was recorded at Edinburgh’s B&B Studios, a popular option for Scottish folk and acoustic performers. Between them Fraser and Werner have managed to create a fine balance between technical excellence and maintaining the warm homeliness of an acoustic record. It’s a nice-sounding record.
The songs are strong and there is just enough variety to maintain interest whilst holding together a consistent and integrated vibe. Like any collection, there is some variation in quality but where the songs are good, such as ‘Wipe Out the Stars’ and particularly ‘Strings’, they are very good indeed.
There are many (very talented) part-time musicians and writers across the country, most of whom do it for the love and a desire to create something interesting and original. It is very difficult under such circumstances to stand out above all of the others. However, with ‘With All The Other Ghosts’ Boulder Fields has given himself the best possible chance of doing just that.
