ghost in the machine (song review)

I was listening to a lot of music today and as I am writing this, there is still music playing in the background.

I listened to artists like Soen and Agent Fresco, but also Weather Systems. In September 2024 they released their debut album “Ocean Without a Shore”. I listened a lot to it for a while, but in the last six months, I only listened to the song Synaesthesia. Until today. I was in the mood to hear the entire album and so I pulled the beautiful vinyl (it’s blue with black swirls) out of its sleeve and put it on the turntable. Volume up. And off we went. I listened to the songs on vinyl, playing mindlessly on my phone. Until…

Until Ghost in the Machine came on. The song is built around a steady guitar riff that gives it forward momentum. The repetition works well here. It gives the track direction and a clear emotional line. The percussion provides the structure underneath without drawing attention away from the melody. It keeps the tempo and the shape of the song consistent.

The vocal work is one of the strengths. Daniel Cavanagh carries the main vocal line and Soraia Silva’s voice comes in at selected points, not to soften the sound but to expand it. Their voices blend into one atmosphere rather than forming a lead and backing contrast. It gives the song a unified emotional tone.

I knew the song before, of course I did, and I remember that I mentioned it in the album review I wrote as a standout song, but there was something about it that made me pause today, that grabbed my attention differently. There is no dramatic peak. The song does not build toward release. Instead, it fades gradually. A few piano notes close the track and lead directly into Are You There Pt. 2. The transition is subtle and fits the pacing of the album as a whole.

I like when music is layered. It often changes with every listen and also with our moods, I guess. And that is why we can listen to a song 50 times and think we already know it, and then on the 51st listen, it suddenly sounds new.

My song of the day for sure. What do you think? How do you like the song?

I added this video because I mentioned Daniel Cardoso’s drumming and here he plays the full song through.