The title of Ghost Bridge, the East-Coast-spanning chamber ensemble Hour’s masterful fifth record, is borrowed from bandleader Michael Cormier-O’Leary’s unrealized movie concept about a bridge that inexplicably starts disappearing. Equally rooted in contemporary classical, film soundtrack music, and experimental rock in the Jim O’Rourke and Dirty Three lineage, the six kaleidoscopic instrumentals on the album sketch a progression from existential doubt toward renewed understanding. Written for a 13-piece ensemble including woodwinds, strings, and vibraphone, Ghost Bridge explores emotional extremes—grief, anger, acceptance, and transcendence—with indelible melodies that recur like calming mantras, set against restless, impressionistic chords evoking the uncertainty of the infinite.
Philly-based multi-instrumentalist (and Dear Life Records founder) Cormier-O’Leary has made Hour a home for his increasingly cinematic instrumental compositions since the mid-2010s. Currently, the ranks of the evolving ensemble feature Abi Reimold, Jason Calhoun, Peter Gill (2nd Grade, Friendship), Adelyn Strei (Skullcrusher), Peter McLaughlin (Little Wings), and Frank Meadows (Fust, Dear Life co-owner), among many other accomplished players. Ghost Bridge represents a bold step forward for the tightly-knit ensemble, connecting the dots between Cormier-O’Leary’s soaring musical themes with an inventiveness that perfectly suits the searching nature of the subject matter.
Bridget St John is one of the most distinctive and influential voices to emerge from the late-1960 and early 70’s British folk scene, recording some of the genre’s most intelligent, emotionally resonant and critically revered albums for John Peel’s Dandelion Records between 1969 and 1972.
After relocating to New York City’s Greenwich Village and releasing a final major-label album in 1974, she stepped back from the mainstream music industry for nearly two decades.
Since her gradual re-emergence at tribute concerts for Peel in the early 2000s, St. John’s cult stature has only grown, and the gentle, poetic quality of her most prolific period remains timeless.
Her most recent release “Covering My Brothers” is an essential listen, providing an intimate glimpse into Bridget’s rich musical history, featuring a collection of covers by dear friends such as Nick Drake and John Martyn.
Celebrated not only as a pioneering figure of British folk, but as a timeless songwriter whose work resonates across eras, Bridget St John’s rare live appearances offer audiences the chance to experience an artist of remarkable subtlety, integrity and enduring creative power.