Track Review: Dirty Pixxx // Love Ghost

Following in the footsteps of Green Day, Smashing Pumpkins and REM, US-based group Love Ghost tackle emotive concepts with hard-hitting melodies. Frontman Finnegan Bell shares that Love Ghost’s music “…is just our storytelling of things happening in our lives at the moment…” – and they do just that with their outstanding tunes. Connecting with listeners on a global scale, the quintet has performed in major cities like Dublin, Tokyo, Hamburg, Prague and London. They have collaborated with artists from the UK, Germany, Spain, Mexico and Turkey; as well as featuring on Alternative Press and Rolling Stone.

Following their album, A Place Far From Here: A Compilation, Love Ghost adopt a pop-punk sound with ‘Dirty Pixxx’; however, while I can easily see them performing at rock festivals, the All American Rejects-esque band sprinkle contemporary hip hop on the song. Featuring critically acclaimed American rapper Bali Baby, ‘Dirty Pixxx’ has an eclecticism and obscurity that stands out from the rest. The movement from their pure pop-punk instrumentation to a soulful R&B sound from Bali Baby, then back to the powerful pop-punk highlights Love Ghost’s versatility.

Just as powerful as the melody, the profoundness of ‘Dirty Pixxx’ can be heard in the lyricism. Touching on the issue of relationships, the playful track flirts with toxic romance – alright, it’s about sending dirty pictures with Bali Baby highlighting the “red flags that tend to look a little pink when we are in love and especially when sending dirty pix…”

Produced by Mike Summers (Lil Wayne, Kendrick Lamar), Love Ghost’s new single is a sophisticated tune. The thing is, while there is control and elegance in its sophistication, it also has a cheery innocence lurking beneath the music. Overall, I love it and Love Ghost may just be one of my new favourite bands.