Offering precisely the journey and intensity implied by the title – a certain darkness, a rising weight and multiple layers of detail – Ghost Of The Past rises up from theatrical beginnings to a full-throttle fusion of rock, pop, and neo-classical instrumentation.
Music
This is beautiful, a refreshing and professional yet incredibly creative and expressive sound.
Contrary to the title of this EP, the music that pours through from the moment you click play is so smooth and loaded with good vibes, that it contrasts powerfully with the depth and emotional honesty that Dan Psycho injects into his bars.
An anthem to empower and energize, Yes She Will is a pop single with a mighty build-up to a drop that ultimately rains down with strength and secure intention.
This is undoubtedly a song to be experienced at volume. There’s an Empire of The Sun vibe on occasion, a slight hint of Brandon Flowers in the lead vocal, and a generally energizing, uplifting fusion of organic musicality and immersive EDM right the way through.
That opening drop from the instrumental into the spacious vocal verse is gorgeously seductive – that dance-hall melody engages and calms, and as the song progresses it evolves with impeccable skill and emotion; building around you a far more complex and consistently captivating journey.
What you have here is a mash-up of traditional and modern electric instruments that looks risky on paper but sounds great in practice. I’m put in mind of the solo albums by ex-Marillion frontman, Fish, around the time of his Internal Exile album. I wasn’t sure what to expect coming to this fresh, but the accomplishment is undeniable.
Set up to build intensity and musicality from the offset, a simple horn intro leads into a contemporary hip hop beat and a series of accompanying visuals that showcase a thoughtful, intentional story-line.
Featuring crisp, clean, soulful vocals, feeling straight out of a nineties emo-rock outfit, and a soundscape that leans back and forth between acoustic delicacy, theatrical scene setting – complete with a spoken monologue – and dreamlike electronic ambiance, the song is unlike anything else you’re likely to stumble upon of late.
Fresh from their recent and well-loved appearance on Season 15 of The Voice, married duo Adam and Jerome Bell-Bastien – OneUp Duo – emerge with a beautifully heartfelt, passionate and melodically entrancing Christmas ballad.
I did some research on Padana and he has an incredible backstory which makes this album’s achievements even more remarkable than I impart here, but you should check that out for yourselves, as it shouldn’t detract from what the music (notably) delivers alone.
Songwriting stands tall on this one, short lines walk you through a long-form yet rhythmic melody, by means of a surprisingly gentle leading voice – a quality that proves recognisable and unique to the Plastic Barricades sound.