Ella Henderson's "Ghost" A Repetitive Phantom That Won't Go Away

It's Halloween month. No better time to discuss "Ghost" the debut single from UK starlet in training Ella Henderson. Boob tube devotees might remember her from her appearance on The X-Factor. That chorus is simply too big a nuisance to take seriously after a time. Somebody greased these tracks with plenty of melodramatic sheen. Maybe the spirit (pun not actually intended) would work as part of the ongoing soundtrack for a telly program about the supernatural and the many who have a hard time buying into the concept. You can't place blame at the feet of Ella's voice (creepy biological juxtaposition, yes?) Anyone out there who took to Leona Lewis like ducks take to a pond isn't going to have much trouble being sold on the innate talent found in Ella's singing. She's an 18 year-old who's off to a promising start. Higher quality material is lacking. Had the powers that be in charge of her record label put as much thought into promoting her as the video director did in playing unchecked emotion to the hilt I might have been able to say Ella's path to US stardom is mere formality. The musicians backing her haven't distorted her style to blend into B-movie cheesiness. A lover's nagging presence gnaws at the heart of this composition. Stinging wounds resonate over and over. "Ghost" was co-written with OneRepublic's lead singer Ryan Tedder. The epic sweeps in instrumentation show his handiwork is unmistakable. But Ella Henderson's name is on the release. She was smart to pair up with him but whenever she lags in the momentum department we're back at the river praying for any one of a number of things. I pray she doesn't oversell the chorus on any other song that gets released. In the world of job interviews making a good first impression is of paramount importance. The first impression I get from "Ghost" is an unintended migraine. Too often the chorus keeps us from developing anything other than a surface relationship with Ella's sharply shaped voice. Lyrically sympathy is warranted. Obviously demons from her love life won't allow her a moment's pace. Imagine a book you've read that does a fine job establishing a mood, winning over your empathy when suddenly you're revisited by a plot device you thought had been stricken from the record eons ago. "Ghost" suffers from the same shortcoming. Her friends have figured out her lover's evil. Her own sanity hangs in the balance. She dares to leave the shallow end of the pool. Then it's back to the river for more connection with the almighty. In small doses that's commendable. Ladled on molasses thick that's a tummy ache granted an all access pass. "Bleeding Love", the ghastly named smash hit for Leona Lewis succeeded by combining a rock/gospel mix that brought out the most palpably vulnerable aspects of the song. "Ghost" doesn't show off that kind of daring. Not mellowed out melodrama. Not going to assume control of fleeting attention spans either. Like the apparition for which it's named, "Ghost" the song goes in the books as barely detectable. You sense a presence but it's too lukewarm to demand further investigation.