And what a gift it is to have them begin our year with this masterpiece. Do you remember Love Ghost? Yes, the Los Angeles-based band that has become a familiar melody on this blog. They have gracefully ushered us into 2024 with their debut single, “Angelic.” It’s not a celebratory banger, but a stripped-down alt-rock ballad that casts a spell of melancholic beauty. Think XXXtentacion’s “Joselyn Flores,” woven with the introspective sorrow of the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Luna,” and you begin grasping this haunting tune’s essence. “Angelic” was released on January 19, and it’s a ballad that burrows deep into the soul.
The song begins with a gentle caress with an acoustic guitar strumming a lullaby for lost dreams. Finnegan Bell’s voice then enters a fragile whisper, weaving tales of longing and regret. He doesn’t shout; he doesn’t scream; his pain is a whisper in the wind, a tear that falls onto the pavement of unrequited affections. Each word drips with a longing that aches in our bones, a yearning for something just beyond reach. There’s a palpable intimacy in his performance—a sense of sharing a secret too precious to keep hidden.
At its core, “Angelic” unfolds as a profound exploration of unrequited love, a theme that echoes through the annals of classic rock but is presented here with a modern, raw vulnerability. The lyrics, crafted with poetic finesse, pull at the heartstrings, and Love Ghost masterfully navigates the delicate balance between intense emotional expression and musical sophistication, creating a sonic landscape that allows us to immerse ourselves fully in the narrative of unfulfilled longing. They weave a tapestry of words that are both achingly vulnerable and strangely beautiful: “Complicated love is so angelic, and I don’t know just where I am headed.” It’s a sentiment that resonates with anyone who has ever loved deeply and felt the sting of unreturned affection.
Musically, the production is minimalist, providing a stark backdrop for Bell’s emotions to take center stage. An acoustic guitar whispers the melody, gently strumming a heartbeat against the backdrop of silence. Subtle brushes of percussion and atmospheric swells add depth without ever stealing the spotlight. It’s a deliberate emptiness that amplifies the emotional weight of the lyrics, allowing the pain and longing to resonate in every quiet space.
The music video, a collaboration with Keith Coleman, a longtime partner of legendary photographer Albert Watson, perfectly captures the song’s haunting beauty. Black and white frames bleed into each other, shadows dance like memories, and Bell’s face becomes a canvas for unspoken emotions. It’s a visual poem that amplifies the song’s raw vulnerability, leaving us both captivated and aching through sound and sight.
With “Angelic,” Love Ghost’s return to Songweb feels like a homecoming, a warm embrace on a cold winter’s night. Having them start the year with us is a gift, a reminder that beauty can be found even in the cracks of heartbreak. They have gifted us something special with “Angelic,” a song that wraps around the heart like a whispered secret, a bittersweet symphony of unrequited yearning. So I wish them a year overflowing with musical breakthroughs, and may their songs continue to haunt us, to hold us aloft on wings of melody, and to remind us that even in the shadows, beauty takes flight.
Listen to “Angelic” by Love Ghost on Spotify or SoundCloud, watch the video with the link above, and let us know your thoughts.
You can follow Love Ghost here for more information.
