Band: Ghostpoet
Release: Some Say I So I Say Light
Release Date: Out Now!
One of the major influencers of the Soundcloud, ‘bedroom producer’ scene, Ghostpoet (real name Obaro Ejimiwe) keeps to his trademark, lo-fi sound on his second studio album ‘Some Say I So I Say Light’.
The follow up to his Mercury Prize nominated debut ‘Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam’, the record centres around the demise of a relationship, two people falling apart amidst the endless pulsing of city life. The style is very much Ghostpoet‘s stream of consciousness, muttered words over soft, hypnotic beats. First track ‘Cold Win’ introduces the relationship element, with the repetition of ‘I need to go back, before the sun goes down on my heart‘.
‘Dial Tones’ features the exquisite vocals of pop-folk singer Lucy Rose, stripped down from her usual light hearted tone to a more raw sound that blends perfectly with Obaro’s own.
First album single ‘Meltdown’ is the hardest hitting of the album, with a ear-worming hook from vocalist Woodpecker Woolliams. Reaching the climax of the lovers story, it suggests another’s influence ‘you and me weren’t meant to be, and someone somewhere knew it from the start’. The track builds to its finale with the addition of a bitter-sweet violin as the two voices merge.
‘Dorsal Morsal’ slows things down, Obaro‘s whispered vocals becoming lost under the soft drumming and quickening beats. The record then shifts into the eerie ‘Msi Musmid’, bringing a harshness to the sounds with discordant piano notes and jarring machine noises drifting in from the background.
On the final track, ‘Comatose’, the bare vocals dissipate into a whirring, blur of violin strings, slowly fading out as the record comes to a close. The lack of finality in the lyrics almost suggests there’s a story here that’s not quite finished, but it remains to be seen if this will continue on a future release.
This album won’t disappoint Ghostpoet‘s existing fanbase, as it stays true to his low-key sound, but there’s enough creativity and meticulous attention to detail on the tracks to make it worth a listen to new fans alike.
‘Some Say I So I Say Light’ is out now from Ghostpoet.co.uk.
8/10
Reviewer: Natalie Gardiner
