Ghost Of Me is
Darwin-based group Tapestry’s follow up to their debut EP Growth, and showcases the band maturing and improving on that
release. The restraint shown throughout this release in terms of songwriting is
perhaps the biggest strength to be found; such a willingness to let songs
breathe allows tracks like “Dark Shade” to really stand out as a highlight of
the EP. There is an abundance of super-compressed clean guitars (a production
choice that you’ll either not mind or be constantly annoyed by), pained screams
and surprisingly effective clean vocals, all of which aren’t exactly
game-changers for a genre that often feels like it has given everything it has
to offer, but amount to only a little more than the sum of its parts.
“Ghost” is perhaps the most generic track on this release,
and could perhaps do with a little more ebb and flow between sections to make
it really stand out – for the most part it is your standard melodic hardcore
scream-fest without a whole lot of variation. Granted, there is a powerful performance
from vocalist Tom Devine-Harrison and some impressive axe work on show,
ensuring that even the weakest track has its merit.
“Life In Delusion”, “Retrospect” and “Ember” make up the
meat of the EP and for me is where the band really begins to offer something
worth taking note of. I’m huge on dynamic contrast and this is where Tapestry
have crafted their most well-rounded and cohesive tracks. All three are well
written and transition nicely into its successor, and as a collection they
build beautifully into the aforementioned “Dark Shade”. I almost think that
this EP could be improved by simply carrying these four tracks, maybe with the
obligatory intro track that seems to be impossible to go without these days,
given how well these four tracks work together in the guts of the EP. Like I’ve
said, “Ghost” is comparatively fairly throw-away, and closer “Love/Deception”
sees the band slip back into what “Ghost” brought to the table. This isn’t a
totally bad thing, though; if you’re into this kind of music (which,
incidentally, I am), then you’ll probably eat it up no questions asked. For the
more objective music listener, however, there is too much here that you’ve
probably heard before for Ghost Of Me to
be anything more than good.
It’s not even remotely trying to reinvent the wheel, but
that’s not really the point. Ghost Of Me manages
to largely avoid stepping in too many of the wearisome clichés and tropes of
melodic hardcore, and for that alone it’s worth checking out as a genre entry. There’s
character and heart in the bones of this EP, for sure, and I’m looking forward
to hearing Tapestry further refine this and bring out a more fully formed and
developed full-length offering in the future.
Favourite Track: Dark Side
Least Favourite Track: Ghost
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