All of my favorite songs have a build-up to the most extravagant point of the track. Whether it is a gradual crescendo or a sudden outburst, it makes the song that much more interesting, engaging, and enjoyable to listen to. 

Though I was going into my first listen of the artist Ghostly Kisses with an open mind, that was definitely a factor that decided whether or not her newest album, Heaven, Wait, was going to be added to my favorites.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

To begin, Ghostly Kisses has an airy, angelic voice that I could never get tired of hearing. It was definitely the part of the album that I enjoyed the most. However, the songs left me bored. For track after track, the musicality hinted that there was soon going to be a build-up to the extravagant outburst, but it never happened. It was like a never-ending intro and she was deciding which lyrics were best to use in the actual song.

I kept anticipating a crescendo, an explosive symphony, but it was never received. Honestly, the album would have been amazing if that factor was added, but I just continued to wonder when the songs would end.

That feeling was extremely evident while listening to the fourth track in the album, “Black Bird.” For the entire five minutes of the song, the tone never altered, and neither did the musicality. Even if she wanted to keep the ominous tone throughout the song, she could have easily done it with some excitement. Keeping the same rhythm and tone during the entire track will bore listeners, especially if the song is long. I wanted the entire time for the track to be over and groaned when I realized I still had three minutes remaining. 

Another part of Heaven, Wait that I was not a fan of was the fact that some of the tracks on the album sounded too similar. Yes, having a specific vibe throughout the album is necessary, but I do not want to listen to the same song in a different font over and over again. Especially with the songs “A Different Kind of Love” and “Heartbeat,” though there are aspects that do differ—“Heartbeat” had the piano as its dominant instrument while “A Different Kind of Love” was primarily guitar—the songs are approximately identical, especially in her tone of voice.

Contradictory to that, there was one track that did not seem to fit the vibe of Heaven, Wait at all. “Carry Me” was much more upbeat and electronic, while the rest of the album had a more melancholy, acoustic feel to them. The sudden change to “Carry Me” was almost startling and very unpleasant.

Every song I have deemed a “good song” has build-up. It has crescendos, explosive symphonies, and extravagant moments. Every “good song” never bores me and is unique to itself. Not one track in Heaven, Wait attained any of these characteristics. Though Ghostly Kisses’ voice was absolutely beautiful, it was wasted on mediocre music.