A musical collaboration of celebrated local indie artists Matt Wilkinson and Nathan Mossop, the project is a vehicle for the like-minded songwriters to collaborate and produce a themed album – a sonic bouquet – of indie-pop acoustic guitars and delicately entwined vocal melodies.
Ghost Orchid can only be described in one word: masterful. And I’m not just saying that because they are my colleagues (Matt Wilkinson and Nathan Mossop), I truly mean it.
Ghost Orchid’s self-titled debut album blew me away.
With each song delivered with a clear point of difference from one another, it is a debut that offers up a wealth of easy-listening folk-rock soundscapes that will undoubtedly strike a chord with many.
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From the naturalistic foley that ushers you in on ‘Bloom’, to the methodical layering of guitars that awaits you on ‘Middlemist Red‘, you will find yourself immediately immersed in Ghost Orchid’s lush array of sounds.
‘Jade Vine’ channels glorious, carefree indie-folk qualities that will resonate with fans of Vance Joy and Ziggy Alberts, ‘Bird Of Paradise’ adds a soulful R&B groove to Wilkinson’s vocal delivery, while ‘Cherry Blossom’ distils the jovial vibrancy of a children’s choir adjacent to its alt-pop tonal qualities.
Toying with a more sombre edge, ‘Ivy Leave’ delicately balances layers of overlapping vocal harmonies alongside powerful string-based crescendos and subtle hand percussion.
Title track ‘Ghost Orchid’, on the other hand, hones in on the duo’s conceptual nature, evoking feelings of desert landscapes as sporadic spaghetti-western backing vocals and singular kick drum patterns pound alongside Mossop’s tech-heavy riff work.
As previously stated, the album only be described as masterful. Holistic in its vision and methodical in its execution, Ghost Orchid’s debut is truly a magnificent first effort.
Stream the album here.
