A Choir Of Ghosts – “Ester”
A Choir Of Ghosts – “Ester” – Single Review
Perhaps it’s that Bon Iver made a return this year that some truly golden sounds in the independent folk-music scene are decidedly coming back to the forefront of our minds and tops of our playlist as of late. Though A Choir Of Ghosts is a new project, it’s also from the skilled-hand & songwriting-talent of James Auger that was also the mind behind the music made in Dead Wood…which was a solo-project that I had the privilege of reviewing last year – so truthfully, I’m well aware that it’s not just the impact of folk-music’s champion Bon Iver leading this new project to the surface…there’s always been an insightful amount of melody & beauty in the music that James makes. Similar to the empowering feelings & strong confident tones I found earlier this year on the Man.Must.Explore EP by Sun.Set.Ships – this new song “Ester” from A Choir Of Ghosts is without a doubt one of the best tunes I’ve heard this year without question or exception.
“Ester” is carefully crafted in such a powerful & evolving way that you feel the music and melody right in your bones…this is the kind of moment that creates legitimate shivers and the instant feeling that you’re in for something truly magical, truly special. It didn’t even take ten-seconds and a chord-change for “Ester” to convince me that it was going to swell & build into a seriously memorable moment in time. Of all the extraordinary high-hopes I’ve often had…I cannot even begin to explain just how much I was cheering for A Choir Of Ghosts to go on to pull off every moment of this song as stunningly as it began…but knowing that if it DID continue to sparkle & shine as it was, it would certainly find a permanent home on a playlist like mine.
A Choir Of Ghosts and the new single “Ester” do not go on to disappoint. From the moment the guitar/cello combination begins this song manages to find strength in every one of its veins and each part of the melody is pronounced gorgeously through the magical mix of gentle sounds in the music. Why I cited Sun.Set.Ships by comparison is because I feel largely the same way about the material overall; I like the music…it’s certainly spot-on and absolutely beautiful to listen to…but I’d be lying if I didn’t say that the true pull of the song lies within the perfection of the vocals, their shimmering-flow and breathtaking melody.
Seriously…I’m almost lost for words on this one; that’s always a good sign when it comes to reviewing music. Doesn’t necessarily make for the best of reads unless I manage to figure it out in creative ways like inserting this particularly long sentence here…but I think you get what I mean. The delicate nature and extremely invitational, BEAUTIFUL sounds of “Ester” are completely what we all collectively wish our dreams to sound like. I’d honestly be proud to put “Ester” on a list of the greatest songs I’ve heard throughout my own life…and it’ll certainly be a part of my own soundtrack going forward. I feel like A Choir Of Ghosts has a truly unforgettable moment in time here with this new single and has created a melody that simply cannot be passed over.
Truly impressed. I expected great things from James but this new project absolutely surpassed every high-expectation I had for his new music in A Choir Of Ghosts. I’ve always claimed to be a melody guy…and this song is a perfect example of what I’ve always meant by that…that indefinable magic in music that makes me want to get out of bed in the morning to find something as incredible as this. Songs like this don’t come along every day…that’s just a fact & you can take it from me. What I CAN tell you…is that every day we live & breathe we have the opportunity to uncover a true gem from some artist or band out there in the world…and when you do it can lead to some of the most powerful & overwhelming emotions and feelings we can feel in our lives.
I’ve uncovered that gem here today with A Choir Of Ghosts “Ester” – this hits the mark with perfect aim on the target. Its focus is audibly impressive at every turn and its balance of melancholy with uplifting tones is insightful and downright powerful. “Ester” reaches right out to the very core of us all through its sincerity and stunning writing…I couldn’t ask for a better song to have at the top of my playlist right now and I know I couldn’t possibly be the only one out there that will feel this way. LISTEN to this song – it’s as beautiful as a melody can get and the production/performance is as stunning as you could ever hope to listen to; everything about this track highlights an artist in true love with his craft. The results are purely inviting and absolutely unforgettable…every moment of “Ester” connects with resounding emotion and drips gorgeously with beautiful authenticity.
Find out more about A Choir Of Ghosts from the official page at Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/achoirofghosts/
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