Album Review: Ghostpoet – Shedding Skin
2 min read
English vocalist and musician Obaro Ejimiwe better known as Ghostpoet is definitely a one of a kind type of artist, his vision and creativity is like nothing I have seen before, there isn’t even an artist you can compare him to which is what makes the 32 year old so damn amazing. Since the release of his debut EP The Sound Of Strangers back in 2010 Ghostpoet has continued to raise the bar with each of his releases creating an intriguing catalogue of inimitable music. Now the London native is ready to add to this impressive catalogue with his latest album Shedding Skin, a 10 track masterpiece filled with dark stories and heavyweight emotions which combine to create the multifaceted musicians most diverse work to date.
Assisted by his touring band (Joe Newman on guitar, John Calvert on bass & John Blease on drums) Ejimiwe creates a traditional live set up for the recording of his third album, a different approach compared to his last two albums Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam and Some Say I So I Say Light. Along with his touring band Ejimiwe has also invited a few guest vocalists to lend a hand on the record including Etta Bond, Paul Smith, Nadine Shah, Lucy Rose and Melanie De Biasio.
From the opening track Off Peak Dreams (also the lead track) its obvious that Ejimiwe has opted for a new direction with this album, the song (like the rest of the album) takes a step away from the electronics and focuses on the warm and organic sounds of the guitar and drums. Ejimiwe’s unique voice is a definite highlight not just on this track but throughout the whole album, his unusual flow and incredible story telling ability is quite exquisite particularly on tracks like Be Right Back, Moving Home and Yes, I Helped You Pack.
What I love most about this album is that Ejimiwe creates emotion and passion with every sound and every word, That Ring Down The Drain Kind Of Feeling emphasises this the most. The blues influenced track at times features a borderline annoying guitar riff which at first I found to be irritating until I realised that it actually emphasises the emotion of the story which is about a gut wrenching encountering of an ex-love. Its little things like this that really make this album something special.
Whilst majority of the songs are dark and gloomy the album finishes on a high with Nothing In The Way, an uplifting track about never giving up and always looking forward. Filled with soothing piano and an inspiring string build up that is sure to cause your arm hairs to give a standing ovation Nothing In The Way stands tall as one of the best tracks on the album.
Shedding Skin is an incredible album from an incredible artist who continues to push boundaries and create breath taking music, the world could really do with more artists like Ghostpoet.
