Friday 4 March 2011

Ghostpoet (Album Review)


Ghostpoet's (real name Obaro Ejimiwe) debut album 'Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam' has finally dropped. For me Ghostpoet's always been a bit hit & miss; his shambling, slurred lyrical delivery either comes across as genuine and adds to the poignancy and impact of the track (as with the downbeat single 'Cash and Carry Me Home', a pretty forlorn ode to the troubles of alcoholism) or seems really contrived and lame.

Thankfully Obaro's managed to pull it off; the album's a good one. Obaro's use of subtle, melancholic synth melodies and skittering beats works really well against the pace of his vocals, and there's an element of creativity and risktaking throughout that's missing from a lot of modern, commerical hip hop. It reminds me of the first Streets album, but less ballsy jack the lad and more sombre jack the guy in the corner moaning about his problems; the album feels really personal but in an involving rather than an aloof way, and with that sort of intimacy comes a warmth and depth of emotion that's both endearing and at the same time really moving.

I've put up the lead single 'Cash and Carry Me Home', as well as the old-age concerned "Gaaasp".

Ghostpoet - Cash and Carry Me Home

Ghostpoet - Gaaasp

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