Ghost

Ghost is a record on which Devin Townsend, using acoustic guitar, soft vocals and ambient-like resonance, paints quiet, open music. As a counterpart to Deconstruction, released at the same time, here space and breath matter above sound pressure. It is the calmest, most beautiful record of the tetralogy. From the floating feel of “Fly” and the gentle melody of “Feather” to the serenity of the title track “Ghost,” the spaciousness of “Infinite Ocean” and the warmth of “Heart Baby,” every song is full of soft light. A production that draws heavily on flute and acoustic instruments lets a pleasant air akin to folk and ambient drift through the whole. Within the calm melodies, his layered production and an enveloping warmth surely breathe. By leaving intensity entirely, the lyricism inherent to Devin Townsend’s music rises in a purer form. It is exactly the right record for when you want to leave the weight and give yourself deeply to a quiet soundscape.