British producer Obaro Ejimiwe, a.k.a. Ghostpoet made waves with his debut, Mercury-prize-nominated album, Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam in 2011.
Back with number two, Ghostpoet deftly combines elements of hip-hop, dubstep, rap and trap over 11 tracks. Despite creating a pretty signature sound for himself, the album seems to drag a little with most tracks surpassing the five-minute mark.
Album opener (and the shortest song) “Cold Win” is a highlight, complete with cosmic clicks and spooky undertones as he laments, “I need to go back before the sun goes down on my heart”, before ending on a bed of distorted horns.
“Dial Tones” opens with the haunting voice of Lucy Rose and the collaboration is an expert choice, her husky tones cutting through the electronica and Ghostpoet’s low, UK-centric rhymes. The song is driven by a steady, dull beat that adds to the track’s melancholy flavour.
There is a strong funk influence on “Plastic Bag Brain”, thanks to Dave Okumu on guitar, that even descends ever so slightly into reggae. The change in tone is welcome on an album that is otherwise largely sparse and slow.
He emanates legendary British ‘90s electronica band, Faithless, on “Sloth Trot”. The drums are the star; jazzy, sparse in the verses and faster and cymbal-heavy in the chorus. The distorted guitars in the outro give it a slightly psychadelic bent.
Previous single, “MSI musmiD” is dripping with crunchy, electronic blips and beats aided by repeated piano chords. The hook surfaces when Ghostpoet wails “woah woah woah”.
“Comatose” is smooth, chillout track featuring slightly prosaic lyrics “I feel/if I fell off a cliff I wouldn’t feel no pain” and appreciated syncopation at the two and a half minute mark. The cascading, orchestral strings come as a surprise, but a welcome one at that, adding a strangely fitting classical conclusion to the album.
There are no doubt some diamonds in the rough in Some Say I So I Say Light, but to listen to it from start to finish comes with a bit of effort. There is a lot of build-up with little climax, leaving the listener somewhat disappointed.
