Bewitching Incantations, Raving Creations

After 2014’s Bathtub Love Killings, and 2019’s Night Owl, Olivia Jean returns with her latest studio album, Raving Ghost. The vivid purple album art is reminiscent of Fall Out Boy’s Mania, but the sound is completely different. With vampire vibes and lyrics that could wake spirits from the dead, Jean masterfully thins the veil from the spectator’s side, to the other side: hers. 

The title track, “Raving Ghost” starts with some dry drums and firm electric guitars. Jean’s voice is split in a harsh delay, which gives it a seeing-double, hearing-double effect. The instrumental breaks are good, and keep the listener on edge. “Raving Ghost” sounds eerie and yet has a Western touch, as if it was cowboy rock, an interesting combination of sonic themes. The bass guitar is responsible for the hook, being imitated by the guitar as the song progresses. The piano arpeggio at the end is subtle, but gives the listener a last wink, appearing discreet and knowing. Creepy and Halloween-esque, the song talks about a haunting, or possibly a summoning ritual. With unsettling lyrics such as “the spirits of the dead who stand in line to live again,” “the scratch that crawls across my neck” and “their voices flowing through my soul,” suggest physical manifestation of spirits, or the transition a person undergoes from the living realm to the spirit realm when they die.

Bold and shameless, “Too Late” starts off with an upbeat and summery hook reminiscent of pop. There’s a certain intrigue to the initial riff, since it’s hard to tell what instrument is behind it: a very built-up synth, or a guitar with a lot of pedals. The instrumentation is pleasant, and along with the lyrics, it gives a feeling of liberation. However, the guitar solo after the second chorus is gnarly, feeling as if it has no other point or purpose. The song speaks about making a decision, or not making it, and it being too late to turn back to undo it, “Love spells, wishing wells, ain’t gonna make you feel better, […] ‘cause it’s too late to turn back now.” With lyrics such as “Future slipping through your fingers,” Jean encourages us to live life to the fullest in order to minimize our regrets.

“Spider” begins with a fat, fried, synth. Immediately going for an eerie feeling, the distorted guitar follows suit, making the listener anticipate the rest of the song. Jean’s voice is seductive and low, almost speaking the lyrics like a chant, she incantates the listener. “You want me dead, ‘cause you don’t want me crawling in your bed or in your head,” she sing-speaks, “I’m just too much for you.” A pleasant addition to the instrumentation, just before the brilliant guitar solo, a scream is heard, driving the point home. As one of the most unsettling and unnerving tracks in the album, “Spider” stands out in the album.

Heading back to classic rock, “Trouble” is a solid track. Catchy and earworm-y in its own right, “Oh, oh, oh, where did you go?” is a great execution of a chorus. The guitars and drums carry the song, painting it and pulling it the right way, but without being too outstanding.

“I Need You” is a more calm, alt-pop song. With clear rock elements, like drums and the guitars occasionally doing more than just the chords, the song keeps a calm demeanor. The lyrics talk about needing a person in a relationship, and not wanting to envision them leaving you. “I want to call your name, but I’m resisting. The silence is playing tricks that you’re coming back to me,” Jeans wants to respect her lover’s space, but feeling him go makes her regret her actions and start looking for signs he’s coming back. The song ends with the chorus, Jean begging her lover, “I need you so, please do not go.”

“Ditch” is a spooky song. Jean doesn’t hesitate to take the aggressive approach and threaten the listener, “Go dig a ditch, good intentions are none of your concern.” This song sounds like a Salem witch plotting her revenge on an ungrateful town, “You satisfied? You got your way,” prompting them to attack her and see what fate awaits them. It’s genius, and on-theme. Coming in at under three minutes long, this is the second shortest track on the album, but definitely nothing sort of special.

Like “Spider,” “Fun” sounds like an incantation. But differently, it’s a narration. “It’s time to run, it’s been fun,” Jean bids farewell to the listener. “She wants to be a stranger, she wants to live in danger. If fear’s the only cost, she wants to get lost,” the lyrics are a story being told from the third person’s point of view, and the instrumentation simply accompanies it. It’s decent, a good filler song, but not too impressive.

“Fate” begins with a cadent, four-note riff played by the bass and the guitar. The chorus is a treat; it’s surprisingly groovy and different from the rest of the album. The guitar solo is mostly compromised of repetitive arpeggios, but it doesn’t sound tedious. Instead, it carries the song to its end, and seals it with a decrescendo.

Very much cheery and vigorous, “Orinoco Flow,” is a song to jump to. The song is named after one of the largest rivers in the world, the Orinoco River. Jean mentions different islands and seas in the song, marking it as the only song she doesn’t try to spook the listener, and is instead, inviting. An enthusiastic track with the repeated chorus “Sail away, sail away, sail away,” “Orinoco Flow” can be wisely used to close a show and leave the crowd with high energy all throughout the night.

“Godmother” starts with an eerie guitar. Back to her darker sound, Jean summons the rest of the instruments, to kick off the verse in a grand manner. With ominous lyrics such as “Is this the start or is this the end? […] Is this delusion, all tangled in lust? I am a mess, but a mess you can trust,” she further entrances listeners, nearing the end of the album.

The closing track “Don’t Leave” kicks off with a drumroll. This song has a strong vintage sound, with a ¾ beat, transforming it into a sort of power ballad, and at the same time not quite. “Don’t Leave” is hard to put your finger on, but Jean has it all sussed out; good thing she doesn’t want you to leave.