Single Review

Gallows Ghost – Arrows EP

• 23rd Feb 2015

London based sextet Gallows Ghost have been making electronic music together for around eighteen months now, and this is the band’s first release. The three track EP is bold and dramatic, its pulsating electronic synth rhythms and sweeping string arrangements providing a fitting backing for the impressive voice of Kate Young. With both vocal power and superb tone control at her disposal, Young is the centrepiece of an unusual sound that works very well.

The six piece band brings together synth, guitar, bass and drums with the fast beats and ever changing rhythms you might expect. But the addition of cello and violin gives a classical edge to the rock core, creating a massive dramatic sound. And the beautiful vocals top it all off nicely.

Lead single and title track Arrows is the best of the three songs here. Growing from a soft intro and then a fast drum beat and a bass line that hurls it forward, Kate Young’s vocals come in, sweeping and majestic. The sound is bold and cinematic, the tempo fast and the energy high. Arrows is a big song, demanding a strong vocal performance and Young rises to the challenge very well.

Stealth has a slightly slower pace, the lower register of the vocal giving it real depth. A lovely melody and an intricate beat sit in the background as it rolls forward, never quite breaking out. The Void has a similar feel, the synth melody prominent and Young’s passionate voice again giving great strength to the song.

Gallows Ghost have a very different sound, one that appears to be carefully crafted to play to their strengths. Sitting somewhere between electro rock and pop, there is flair aplenty here and the stirring vocal performances from Kate Young really stand out on all three tracks. A band worth looking out for, they have talent aplenty.

Venue: Arrows EP
Support Band: self