Introducing a unique fusion of organic musicality and hip hop song-writing, this new six-track EP from artist and songwriter Ghost Orchid offers up a conceptually intriguing and musically immersive journey.
Featuring acoustic guitar rhythms and emo-rap style vocals, Ten Stars Apart kicks off Your Sympathy, My Destruction in a melodically effective way. There’s a certain pop-rock warmth to the opener, then this pop-punk-style vocal takes the reigns, and the lyrics lean back and forth between contemporary references and untold stories and scene-setting – a balance that works well throughout the EP. Already Ghost Orchid has a sound of his own.
I Don’t Want To Hurt You takes the personal outpouring and vulnerability a little further. Another effective emo-rap melody drives amidst another colourful and fresh soundscape. The production is interesting, the vocals clean and clear – blending nostalgia and the sound of the moment in a worthy way.
Fucked Up follows and sets the mood with a superb riff that tips its hat to the emo-rock and pop-punk emotive hits of the nineties. In comes the vocal, the beat, both gentle and hypnotic. Great song-writing meets with a diary-like outpouring of personal honesty for something quickly immersive and easy to connect with. The Lil Peep influence seems to stand tall on this one.
Solution is another with a calming, late-night ambiance to its leading guitar riff. Spoken segments help really set the scene, building further on that authenticity. Then things get heavier, and a feature from HEATSZN keeps the intensity high for the vocal lead. A welcomed step away from delicacy.
At the penultimate moment, Change The Difference reverts back to simple, clean guitar work as a certain sense of optimism and brightness takes hold. Then we get the blissful paired guitars of the title-track to bring things to an emotional and cinematic finish. Beautiful sound-design meets with the underlying intentions of the project as another simple yet satisfying melody allows the whole thing to wash over in an entrancing fashion.
Ghost Orchid proves a thoughtful and expressive artist, in tune with the modern sound yet also clearly inspired by the alternative greats of yesteryear. An honest songwriter at heart, with a fine ear for melody and a refusal to adhere to genre expectations. Your Sympathy, My Destruction is every bit as indulgent and passionate as its title implies.
Check out Ghost Orchid on Instagram & Twitter.
