May 19, 2024

Skylight Webzine

Online since 2000

Crooked Ghost present atmospheric post-punk gem on ‘Sinew in Red’ single

3 min read

With a new intriguing melancholic offering, post-punks Crooked Ghostpresent their new single‘Sinew in Red’, the first taste from their forthcoming album ‘Colors Bleed’. They also now present the video for this sleek and sultry track about self-obsession and dirty secrets.

“Sinew in Red was written in response to trauma, but to me, there’s a lot of strength and empowerment in this song. It also touches upon things like vanity and lust… It’s essentially about being in the closet and having a dirty secret no one is supposed to know, but you ratted yourself out,” says Ray Lark.

The video was filmed and directed by Devan Burger, and edited by Rome Widenhouse, who emphasizes the video’s use of visual metaphors: “Sinew in Red is a journey through the wasteland of a fractured psyche, exploring one’s relationship to the self; Burdened by the weight of obsession in a vain attempt to find cohesion in a cacophony of inner voices in conflict with one another.”

‘Colors Bleed’ is the thirrd release from Asheville, North Carolina-based collective, following on the heels of their ‘Skeleton House’ album, released in February 2019 on limited edition 12″ colored vinyl. These four new songs see the Ghosts moving in a more colorful direction. The songs are bigger and brighter than those before, with dreamy melodies, and some of Crooked Ghost’s most honest lyrics to date.

This EP was recorded in Black Mountain, NC by longtime friend and producer Edward Madill. The EP itself was inspired by mental illness and the struggles of growing up LGBTQ in a not-so-accepting world.

Formed in 2013 by Ray Lark, Crooked Ghost was initially a channel for leftover songs that didn’t seem to fit in any of the other bands he was involved in, but quickly became the focal point of Ray’s creative energy. Today Crooked Ghost is Ray Lark (guitar, vocals), Chris Saldin (bass), Alex Cannon (keyboard), Jon Wyatt (drums) and Charles Reed (guitar).

The band released their debut LP ‘Strange Burial Rituals’ in March 2017. With two distinct halves (the first is lighter, the second darker), the album plays out like a story, or rather, two opposite stories that are intertwined. Their most recent videos are for ‘Roadkill’and ‘Sleepwalker’.

‘Sinew in Red’ releases on August 23. The full ‘Colors Bleed’ EP will be released on September 20 on limited edition CD through the band’s own imprint, and will be available digitally across platforms such as iTunes and Spotify.  It can already be pre-ordered via Bandcamp.

The band’s next live performance happens on August 24 in Asheville, NC at The Mothlight (with Pylon Reenactment Society).

TRACK LIST  
1. Black Rainbow
2. Sinew In Red
3. Golden Blue
4. Bright White Noise

CREDITS
Ray Lark (lyrics, vocals, guitar)
Chris Saldin (bass)
Jon Wyatt (drums)
Charles Reed (guitar)
Alex Cannon (Keyboards)
Produced by Edward Maddill and Crooked Ghost
Mastered by Adam Boose at Cauliflower Audio
Copyright 2019 Crooked Ghost Records
Album artwork by Ray Lark

https://youtu.be/iswKWRWoSE4
‘Sinew in Red’ Soundcloudhttps://soundcloud.com/crookedghost/02-sinew-in-red
Bandcamp https://crookedghost.bandcamp.com/album/colors-bleed
Roadkill  https://youtu.be/rwswiX8plZ8
Sleepwalkerhttps://youtu.be/7FwBt8dIR_M

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