E.W. Harris – Bad Ghost (2021)
Following a relocation to Brooklyn, New York from Athens, Georgia, E.W. Harris began sharing his unique music with the world. Slightly over a decade since the project’s inception, E.W. Harris has been well-received by reviewers and fans across the globe. Described by Eric Hathaway of EarthSouNZ as “a unique musical phenomenon”, it is safe to say E.W. Harris is not to be defined by typical genres. The latest addition to his critically acclaimed repertoire is ‘Bad Ghost’.
The first singe of 2021, ‘Bad Ghost’ is a melding of folk, indie-rock and indie-pop. Collaborating with Phil Harris on the drums, E.W. Harris creates a cinematic soundscape with this soothing single. While the dynamic drums complement the steady drums, it is the incorporation of synths that makes ‘Bad Ghost’ innovative, eclectic and boundary-breaking. The movement from languid folk to electropop and straight back to soothing folk is not only impressive but an otherworldly experience.
Recorded in New York at Newtown Recorders with Kia Eshghi and Chris D. Butler, ‘Bad Ghost’ is a sophisticated melodic arrangement with a harmonic flow, irrespective of the change in instrumentation and tone. As with the experimental melody, the lyricism adopts a psychedelic take on fictional existentialism – does that make sense? E.W. Harris explains that “‘Bad Ghost’ is the story of a character who, in the post-apocalyptic future, accidentally acquires a secondary soul, is killed, and after death feels very guilty about the whole thing…”
Yes, I know a bit out there, but when you consider the concept the incorporation of electropop into an acoustic-inspired folk meets indie-rock song makes sense. E.W. Harris further explains that the track was “inspired by both the narrative underpinnings of Jadzia Dax of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and conversations with friends in transitions…an attempt to at least try and understand those people who truly feel the friction of having multiple selves.”
While there is a uniqueness to the narrative, I find ‘Bad Ghost’ not only pleasing melodically but insightful in its lyricism. With lingering nostalgia, ‘Bad Ghost’ has a somewhat melancholic quality wrapped in an ethereal bubble of sci-fi-ness.
For more from E.W. Harris check out his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
