Ghostpoet – Dark Days & Canapés – Album Review

Release date: Friday, August 18th 2017
Live at the Button Factory – October 24th Dublin

This is the fourth album by Obaro Ejimiwe, better know as Ghostpoet. It’s his first since the 2015 release Shedding Skin. We are welcomed back to the murky depths, with the first short song One More Sip, with drums and electronic sounds, along with his distorted voice telling us “When I leave here, my sins are unforgiven”. It’s very much in character with what is to come, another trip to the underworld.

The album is produced by Leo Abrahams, best known for his work with Brian Eno and Jon Hopkins. Simple piano, distorted guitars, bass and drums create much of the sounds. They’ve embraced a dirty style, with a dark and gloomy nature. Many Moods At Midnight is a piano driven track, along with distant drums.

“I’m howling at the moon, snatching at your ear” – Many Moods at Midnight.

Blind as a Bat is undoubtedly a highlight with the wonderful chorus ‘In my head, it’s all palm trees and Appletinis’, as he dreams of a world he never quite achieved. Woe Is Meee is a quiet guitar track that captures the imagination through its simplicity. Final track ‘End Times’ is more upbeat than you would expect from the title, but there is darkness in the lyrics.

‘It won’t go away swallowing these pills, is it my end time?’ – End Times

The thing that will put many off is Obaro’s voice, which is not the most powerful or wide ranging instrument. He does have something very clear to say though, with a sharp wit and much insight. The album is a sparse affair with a late night feel. A collection of sounds from the depths…

Track List:

1.One More Sip
2. Many Moods At Midnight
3. Trouble + Me
4. (We’re) Dominoes
5. Freakshow
6. Dopamine If I Do
7. Live>Leave
8. Karoshi
9. Blind As A Bat…
10. Immigrant Boogie
11. Woe Is Meee
12. End Times