Unreqvited reveals itself again.
Since 2016 in Canada, its creator also known under the name of William Melsness (all instruments/vocals, The Ember, the Ash, Write Home) offers an unique sound through six albums and two splits. Beautiful Ghosts is released in 2021.
At the first seconds, All Is Lost seizes us into this hurricane of softness, this storm of intensity where an airy rhythmic meets ghostly howlings, majestic orchestrations and perky leads. The melting is extremely addictive, and we get lulled until Autumn Everley and its piano introduction. Sweetness imperceptibly gets strengthened until this terrific explosion of rage, sorrow and melancholy. And once again, the mixing is heady, multiplying DSBM, Post-Metal, Shoegaze or even Ambient influences, then Reverie gets us out of this slumber with a soft airy sound. The song allows us a bit of rest before Funeral Pyre, an epic composition with weighing sound. Howlings accentuate once again this contrast between beauty and despair that permanently live into the song, whether it is during quiet parts, sharp harmonics or more intense moments. Some more airy backing vocals carry us to Cherish, a very short and soft song on piano that gives life to Beautiful Ghosts, the eponymous track. It offers a rawer sound on guitars, but waves of majestic ambiences come to appease the fire again, that permanently burn through this changing and sincere universe. Quietness only strengthens the power of this versatile violence, then it is with All Is Found, a soft outro on keyboard that slowly moves forward to this peak of light, that only calls for renewal.
Unreqvited is a unique and remarkable universe. Beautiful Ghosts develops a new part of duality between shadow and light, joy and despair, terror and wonder, or even raw sound and appeasing ambience, and this addition to the musician’s very rich discography has to be listened without question.
95/100
