First Listen: Riley Pinkerton “Do You Have A Car?”

“Ghost Folk” is a term I have heard used a few times in the past but never really understood until I listened to Riley Pinkerton’s “Do You Have A Car?” EP. It is transcendent in a way. Haunting? Sure. Spooky? Yeah, if we want to use terms better served for a kid’s Halloween costume. Moving, poignant, ethereal may perhaps be a better descriptor of the tales that are contained within these 5 tunes.

‘Marina’ hovers and floats as the acoustic guitar sways across the sonic palette of the tune. Strings throb delicately in the background and Pinkerton’s voice is delicate but stalwart, beautiful but pained. The follow up, “Frankenstein” has a similar feeling, though is broken up by a waltzy type acoustic part with a pre-chorus section that then speeds up, giving the song a nice dynamic and highlighting Pinkerton’s voice sublimely.

HE CRAVES TO SPARK A PULSE, AND AROUSE A CIRCULATION /

TURN HIS BACK ON FELLOW MAN, TO BE TAKEN BY HIS CREATION /

WHAT HE WOULD DO TO TURN THE GEARS IN THE MECHANISM OF MY MOUTH /

AND ANIMATE MY BONES AND FLESH SO HE MIGHT WATCH ME MOVE ABOUT

“In His Image” crawls its way a bit out of the deep end of the reverb pool. Dotting the guitar lines with a slightly higher tremolo sound. With interesting guitar flourishes between verses for additional flair or interest, then diving back into the beauty of the songwriter’s voice. Pleasant, trembling, but solid.

 

The use of reverb to create depth in the tracks is the common thread throughout the 5 song collection. It constructs a cavernous feeling in the songs, mysterious and emitting a feeling of secrecy and swimming in a sea of sound…despite much of the arranging on the record being fairly sparse. Riley buries emotion and sadness and melancholia into her songs. They evoke feelings and a range of emotions: sadness, hope, pity, despair, light, building anticipation and optimism that is never too hopeful. Beautiful in the simplicity of its execution, but profound all the while in how she can make you feel so much with so little in a few guitar lines and a voice. These songs leave something with you, an imprint in your chest and mind. You will need to listen again and again…and I will be revisiting again and again.