Jodi Heights – Ghosts of the Past (2024)
Take the sounds of Regina Spektor, Sarah McLachlan and Joni Mitchell, then bind them in an intricate web of classical, pop and heart-wrenching folk sounds – you have an idea of Jodi Heights. From powerful existential themes like climate change and the pandemic to more intimate issues such as vulnerable relationships, the US-based singer-songwriter captures life as we all know it in alluring songs. The latest addition to her discography is the single ‘Ghosts of the Past’.
With each new single, Jodi Heights continues to astound us with her eclectic musical concoctions. She recently shared her jazzy take on Paul McCartney’s ‘Blackbird’ and before that her original 2022 songs ‘Fine Wine’ and ‘Aurora’. Now, she presents the first original track in her repertoire since ‘Fine Wine’ or at least that’s what Spotify says. Recorded with engineers Mike Davidson and John Weston, ‘Ghosts of the Past’ lies somewhere between alternative pop, folk and powerful classical styles – all interlocked with intricate composition and arrangement.
As with her previous work, Heights’ vocals are what really captures your heart; it is no different in ‘Ghosts of the Past’. Fluttering across a mystical haze of piano-driven sound, the rich but haunting voice sends shivers down your spine. Interestingly, while Heights’s vocals hold an icy sheen with kaleidoscopic glitter, there is warmth within the transcendental, enigmatic reservedness. A sort of hope belying the path of troubled tragedy.
A piano drives the song, yet the delicacy of string instruments brings the theme to life. Composed by Cairo Margues-Neto, a melancholy battle endures between duetting cellos as Heights explores the tragic tale of leaving loved ones to face difficulties alone with the hope they might endure. Heights explains:
“It’s difficult to watch loved ones suffer, and even more difficult when they don’t take action to change their circumstances. If that limited way of living continues for too long, it slowly eats away at them. They become a shadow of who they once were. I think you can hear the grief in my vocals, the pain of stepping back while still hoping that one day they’ll make different choices. Until then, they are living in the attic with the ghosts of the past.”
Find out more about Jodi Heights on her official website, Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, TikTok and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Listen to more alternative pop music on The Other Side Reviews Alternative Pop playlist:
