Ghostpoet, aka Obaro Ejimiwe, is gifted with a sublimely expressive voice and an ability to convey sentiment with his lyrics. Confusion, anguish, despair and thoughts about the world are conveyed powerfully.
I didn’t manage to see him perform till 2021 when he appeared at Green Man festival. He was in the cavernous, dark Far Out tent, rather than on one of the more appealing outdoor stages but this suited the intensity of his set, concentrating and distilling his performance. He said it was his first live show since lockdown. For those of us hanging over the barrier it was (well, I speak for those next to me), an enrapturing experience.
Since then Ghostpoet has left the UK to live in Berlin where he’s been involved with visual projects. Producing new music has taken its time, but here it is. He has just released a new EP entitled ‘Am I the Change I Wish to See?” plus a suitably moody video for the sublime and startlingly original track Oh Lord. As Ghostpoet announces on social media, he has mixed feelings, releasing music while the world is experiencing unsettling and troubling times.
From the opening notes of Oh Lord, a hazy, shimmering, fragmented flow of synth notes reverberate in your head. It’s deep and dark, with the sub bass flowing in, while the instrumentation weaves and shifts almost imperceptibly. And then there’s the vocals. Instead of clarity, Ghostpoet’s vocals are almost indistinct, far back in the mix, allowing all the elements of this track to coalesce and flow in a singular tide. I contemplate whether I’d instinctively know this was Ghostpoet if I hadn’t known it was him all along. I’m not sure I would. The familiar upward intonation of the vocals is absent but that rich baritone remains.
Oh Lord is the latest track from his latest EP on Bandcamp called ‘Am I the Change I Wish to See?” There are two further tracks: Who Knows and Hold the Line. It’s good to see Ghostpoet back and making music.
Ghostpoet / Facebook Am I the Change I Wish to See?”