Therina Bella

Waiting for a Ghost

(Eyelash Wish)

Record Review by Janelle Finamore

From whispery vocals tinged with sadness to torrential cries, Therina Bella’s Waiting for a Ghost is steeped with emotion. The album—filled with atmospheric pads, dreamy mystical harmonies, and haunting melodies—is written in memory of her father who recently passed away. This makes for a very diverse and interesting listening experience. In opener “Escape,” Bella writes, “We’re packing our heart-ache inside some milk crates. We’re planning our escape. I buried my daddy, but I can’t seem to get the dirt from under my nails.” These are touching, imaginative, and creative lyrics that fit perfectly with the moodiness of the piece. The track is comparable to an Aimee Mann tune, except with more interesting production such as undulating, ghost-like harmonies eliciting feelings of floating across the dark river Styx. Bella clearly has a way of creating vivid imagery lyrically and musically.

One of the highlights of the album, “Forever,” has great production quality that includes violin plucks, twinkling piano riffs, and impressive guitar solos. At first, the vocals sounded a bit distant as though they were produced in the basement of a home. Then, it became apparent that the echoic vocals were purposely made that way to sound like ghosts in the background, alluding to the album’s title. She sings in her higher register vocal range during the choruses in this song, which is reminiscent of Tori Amos or Kate Bush.

Other than outstanding vocals, Therina Bella’s greatest talent is her ability to produce certain songs in a unique and unpredictable way. For example, “Southern Comfort” starts with light drums, simple string pads, and warm subdued vocals. Then, out of nowhere you hear an electronic MIDI mosaic that sounds like a video game. The song is a nostalgic story of living out her father’s dreams, so the game MIDI does not seem to fit the lyrics or mood of the song, but it still works in an offbeat way.

The final track, “Goodnight,” is written as if Bella’s father is singing to her. She writes, “Go to sleep baby I’m sad to see you blue. Close your eyes for a dream. I’m watching over you.” The lyrics, in addition to choir-like harmonies in the background of the chorus, make the song a tear-jerker. It makes one feel that her father would have been proud to hear her. Bella’s Waiting for a Ghost should be lauded for her ability to take a tragic topic and turn it into a beautiful, sad album with melodies of hope, inspiration, and happiness rather than just utter despair.