Cherry Ghost - Thirst For Romance (2LP)

Some records feel like they arrive fully formed, quietly confident, and Thirst For Romance is one of them. The debut from Cherry Ghost, the project led by Bolton songwriter Simon Aldred, landed in July 2007 on Heavenly Recordings and settled in like an old friend. It wasn’t a shouty arrival. It’s the sort of album that wins you over with slow-blooming melodies, widescreen arrangements and a voice that sounds lived in beyond its years.

Aldred writes with a painter’s eye, always zeroing in on little details that say more than big pronouncements. People Help the People has become the calling card, not only because of its beautiful chorus but because it carries a plainspoken compassion that cuts through noise. The song took on a second life a few years later when Birdy covered it and sent it up the charts, but it’s worth returning to the original to hear the way the strings cradle Aldred’s vocals, the piano anchoring the sentiment without tipping into syrup.

The album moves between dusky barroom hush and big Northern skies. Mathematics flickers with a resigned sway, the kind of tune you catch yourself humming on a late train home. Roses opens with a tender lilt, all soft light and shadow, then swells into a chorus that feels like rain on warm bitumen. Dead Man’s Suit leans into the noir edges of Aldred’s writing, with guitars that shuffle rather than strut and a rhythm section that knows when to hold its nerve. None of it feels fussy. The songs breathe. You can hear space between the notes, and that space is where the record’s heart sits.

Sonically, there’s a clear affection for classic songwriter craft, but it never tips into retro cosplay. Think of the melancholy romance of Richard Hawley, a touch of Elbow’s patient build, even echoes of The Walker Brothers in the way the strings swoop and sigh. Aldred’s voice carries a grain that suits that palette. He can lift to a clean, bright line, then settle back into a conversational murmur. You believe him. That’s half the magic.

Thirst For Romance arrived to warm notices in the UK, and for good reason. It’s an album of proper songs, the sort that hold their shape when you strip them back to guitar and voice, yet they also reward time with headphones. One minute you’re catching a glint of glockenspiel, the next a low brass rumble or a flourish of organ that sneaks up on a chorus. The production keeps the spotlight on the songwriting, but it isn’t shy about colour. That balance is why the record still feels sturdy today.

Listening now, there’s also a strong sense of place. Not in a touristy way. More the feeling of northern towns after closing time, sodium lamps on wet streets, the kindness and bite that share the same breath. Aldred sketches characters with a gentle hand, and even when he’s at his bleakest he’s never cruel. That generosity is baked into the record’s tone. It’s part of why People Help the People resonated beyond indie circles, and why the album has aged so gracefully.

If you’re crate-digging, this is a release that truly sings on wax. The arrangements open up, the low end sits warm and present, and those strings feel wonderfully tactile. Thirst For Romance vinyl is a lovely way to live with these songs, and it has become a quiet favourite among collectors who appreciate a well-cut, orchestral indie record that isn’t show-offy. If you’re hunting Cherry Ghost vinyl in a Melbourne record store, keep an eye out, or buy Cherry Ghost records online if your local has moved their stock. It also sits nicely alongside other Cherry Ghost albums on vinyl if you’re building a shelf of thoughtful British songwriting.

Seventeen-odd years on, Thirst For Romance still carries that twilight glow. It doesn’t clamour for attention. It doesn’t need to. Put it on at home, let the room fall still, and by the time Mathematics rolls around you’ll remember why some albums become companions. For anyone who loves lyrical detail, rich but unfussy arrangements and a voice you can trust, this is one to keep within reach. And for those of us in vinyl records Australia land, it’s exactly the sort of record you hope to stumble across while flicking through a new arrivals bin, only to realise you’ve been looking for it all along.