Review: Love Ghost and Blnko’s new pop-punk collaboration ‘Veneno’ wraps up the woes of a toxic love in atmospheric guitar and catchy vocals
Love Ghost are a musical force to be reckoned with, as these self-proclaimed misfits find themselves sharing new releases more often than not, already offering 2023 a handful of singles, a full-length album and an EP. Conjoining a style equally informed by Seattle tradition and Souncloud-era fearlessness, Love Ghost find themselves coining their music to be something of emo trap-rock, a niche that no artist has truly been able to capture in the same way. Now collaborating with Mexican artist Blnko’s, their newest single ‘Veneno’ - meaning poison - sees the two acts creating a patchwork of their stylings into something new and unique.
Storming in at full atmospheric force, ‘Veneno’ sees soaring, quickly strummed electric guitar placed front and centre of everything as it leads us into the release, delivering a pop-punk-esque core for the track to shine as well as Latin rock elements that push its individual flair to the max. Steady, hard-hitting drums commence for the verse, with the instrumentals feeling clean but striking all the same as Love Ghost’s vocalist delivers a spoken-sung performance atop it, championing his staple whine-y emo sound that’s a distinctly catchy staple part of the group. The chorus only ramps things up further, with the drums hitting harder and the guitar more vigorous as well as Blnko’s screamed backing vocals making this an angsty moment you won’t be forgetting or failing to head-bang along to anytime soon. Taking hold of the second verse, Blnko’s clean Spanish vocals carry both a charisma and confidence that’s perfect for the song’s teetering bridge between gritty and smooth. At just two and a half minutes in length, this short but sweet offering is one you’ll need on repeat a handful if not more times to get the full flavour of as Love Ghost and Blnko get in your head and plant one hell of an earworm to be remembered.
As the lyrics deliver a conflicted narrative of a relationship that’s evidently a two-way street of toxicity, ‘Veneno’ finds itself fighting between knowing it’s best to let go, but instead clinging on like its life depends on it. With a contrasting internal battle evident in every line, Love Ghost spew a monologue of thoughts, admitting ‘I’m done putting up with you, I can’t get enough of you’ but never capable of making up their minds. As lines like ‘the venom you give is like a dream’ sugarcoat this progressive downwards spiral, ‘Veneno’ doesn’t hesitate in offering quite the truthful depiction of how it feels to be consumed within a toxic partnership, finding a rush in every blow and feeling incapable of walking away. An air of codependency also surrounds ‘Veneno’s narrative, clinging onto lyrics like ‘I can’t be without you’ that make it very clear they’re not just infatuated but also feel so deeply dependant on this person they don’t believe they’re capable of walking away even when they’re causing so much pain. Every hard-hitting word of ‘Veneno’ captures a side of a toxic relationship that many don’t speak so openly of, and as always we can’t help but adore Love Ghost’s continued willingness to set the stage for others to relate and feel less alone within their darker narrative topics. With Blnko’s second verse also entirely in Spanish, ‘Veneno’ doesn’t limit itself from offering an experience a little different from everything else out there, surely becoming an anthem you’ll be singing for a long time after first pressing play.
With a video incorporating the trio performing in a rundown location amidst depictions of a toxic relationship constantly teetering between thrilling highs and broken lows, ‘Veneno’ also sells its poignant narrative in every visual.
Check out ‘Veneno’ for yourself here to enjoy the addictive soundscape and hard-hitting lyrical matter that Love Ghost and Blnko have to offer!
Written by: Tatiana Whybrow
Photo Credits: Unknown
// This coverage was created via Musosoup, #SustainableCurator.
