There’s something about a songwriter who doesn’t just write to the listener, but for the listener. With ‘Ghosts’, Los Angeles-based Mike Berman delivers a collection of songs that feels like a series of hushed, vulnerable exchanges passed over a campfire or across a cracked diner booth. Rooted in the long-standing tradition of confessional folk and sun-drenched Americana, ‘Ghosts’ traverses memory, loss, and resilience without ever falling into melodrama.
Berman opens the door wide with a voice that carries the gentle wear of years spent observing the world. Tracks like ‘No Luck at All’ (featuring steel guitar icon Jaydee Maness) shimmer with dusty beauty, while the aching ‘I Just Don’t Have What It Takes’ leans into the kind of emotional honesty that can only be written from the inside out. Every chord feels intentional, every lyric distilled from something lived rather than imagined.
Across its eight tracks, ‘Ghosts’ balances deeply personal reflections with broader commentary on the world at large. ‘Tryin’ to Get Home’ and ‘A Gentle Song’ speak to the violence of our times with a poet’s restraint, opting for empathy over outrage. And yet, there’s light too. ‘Wonderland’ plays with nostalgia and wit, while ‘In the Clear Morning’ offers a well-earned breath of peace.
The production is warm, uncluttered, and thoughtful, letting the narratives lead while surrounding them with subtle textures. Ed Tree’s arrangements never overstep, and moments like Marty Axelrod’s Wurlitzer or Charlie Lowell’s keys add just enough atmosphere without pulling focus. It’s storytelling first, and that’s exactly where this record shines.
What makes ‘Ghosts’ special isn’t flashy production or big hooks. It’s the sense that every song matters. That every lyric was carved out with care. That Berman understands the weight of a single line and how it can stay with a listener.
For fans of Jackson Browne, Lucinda Williams, and Jason Isbell, ‘Ghosts’ will feel like a welcome return to the roots of why folk music endures. Not because it shouts, but because it listens.
