After a fall and injury that meant she couldn’t play guitar, Steph Sweet decided to break from her usual genres for an unexpected EP.

By Graeme Smith

Sweet’s new four-track EP, Ghost Signal, gets off to a percussive start with the captivating drum beat of its title track. Over it we get electronic layers and vocals that are full of longing. There’s a captivating quality to Sweet’s voice as she perfectly captures the wistfulness of the track’s lyrics.

Tuesday Love slows things down for a intimate moment. With this EP, Sweet is stretching herself into the world of Portishead-esque trip-hop and that’s most evident here. There are also hints of Goldfrapp alongside her own imitable sound.

Burn So Good keeps things slow while adding in some moody and atmospheric layers. Hand in Hand injects some lo-fi hip-hop into proceedings during a romantic closer.

This EP might be a departure for Steph Sweet, but her love of the trip-hop, dream-pop and IDM genres shines through across its four tracks. It feels like a natural fit for her, and honours musical pioneers while adding her own flair to proceedings. For us, it’s a welcome introduction to an artist to whom we’ll definitely be returning.

Ghost Signal is out now and you can give it a listen below.