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EP REVIEW: "Ghost of Me" by Tapestry


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

Rating: B

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