When I last wrote for STAT back in 2021, I reviewed A Good Winter in June. This EP served as my introduction to Anyone’s Ghost, which, at the time, was the solo project of Rossendale’s Wanda Roslyn. I kept close watch on Wanda ever since in anticipation of future releases. Now joined by Michael Webster, Max Macmillan, and Alexander Green, their debut album, Necromancer, was well worth the wait.

Necromancer is a clandestine revenge album in which Wanda spins hexes on those who wronged her. The soundscapes crafted by Michael Webster are deceivingly comforting for an album on loss, love, and ghosts of the past. From the very first pluck on “The Secret History” right through to the haunting closure of “Lux Lisbon,” Necromancer is a journey through the myriad of emotions that come with the human experience.

This album sounds how dissociation feels; like sitting alone upon a hilltop and realising that every person lost, every door closed, led you to where you are now. For better or for worse. It is an album for self-reflection and self-pity, but only in the name of acceptance and forgiveness.

Image credit: @lazydonkey27

After following Wanda for the last two years, I can’t help but feel that Necromancer is a testament to her songwriting and storytelling abilities. Her growth is admirable and is only enriched by her bandmates. Anyone’s Ghost may very well challenge big names one day, except they provide an air of mysticism that could only be birthed from valleys seeped in folklore. May Necromancer mark the beginning of a whole new fairytale.