Album Review: Matt Geary – Ghost in the Western Trap (Self Released)

Entwining post-hardcore musicality and orchestral minimalism, Ghost in the Western Trap is the upcoming album from Philadelphia-based musician Matt Geary. Out on March 24th, 2023.

A unique talent making unique music, Matt Geary bears his soul and expresses a huge amount of emotion across seven thought-provoking and captivating pieces of music. One that has taken a long time to come to fruition (writing started in 2014), the result is something that stays with you. Insulating and comforting, cold and haunting, from the moment subtle melodies and the ambience of Birth announces itself, Ghost in the Western Trap will have most hooked.

With the arrival of orchestral strings, What Made Him Drop takes on a more folk-orientated sound. Here, the heartbreak is so prevalent and while it is entrancing, you’ll desperately want to feel some sunshine on your face. Stick with it though, Geary turning the direction of this track in unexpected ways and delivering a fascinating change of tone as it goes on. It doesn’t necessarily get any brighter, but it does become much more palatable.

The acoustic guitar strumming, moving melodies and string combo of Fragile is very impressive. A short entry that puts just a little bit of a pep in the step thanks to its slight uptick in energy.

Before Geary unveils arguably the album’s most mood-altering but appealing track of all, Broken Down – The Other Side of Town. Music that oozes feeling and delivers that delightful relatability that has been hinted at so far.

Following that, there’s a pair of experimental offerings with Your Eyes Told Me Everything and the title track. Both offering varying degrees of forlorn melody, flashes of energy, unusual touches, and heavily focused on atmosphere. Surprisingly exhausting, it means the poignant and earnest finale of Bright Again is both welcome and well-placed. A really strong closer.

This sort of music isn’t for everyone, yet it also has widespread appeal as it is all about connections. For every person that finds themselves distracted by what they hear, there will be another who finds it resonating with them in ways they could never have expected. That there, makes this a must listen.

Matt Geary – Ghost in the Western Trap Track Listing:

1. Birth
2. What Made Him Drop
3. Fragile
4. Broken Down – The Other Side of Town
5. Your Eyes Told Me Everything
6. Ghost in the Western Trap
7. Bright Again

Links

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