Lauren Presley’s ‘Ghost’, the soul-stirring final act from her debut EP ‘Hanging In The Balance’, quietly commands your attention. At once haunting and heartbreakingly human, the track unfolds like a confession whispered through tears, anchored by Presley’s ability to translate emotional weight into melody with staggering precision.
While the EP as a whole moves like a slow-burning candle, ‘Ghost’ is the moment the flame flickers. Everything about this track- the hushed production, the floating synth lines, the way Presley’s voice stretches and strains as though trying not to crack- feels suspended in that delicate in-between: numbness and feeling, exhaustion and resistance, being seen and fading out.
What sets ‘Ghost’ apart is its restraint. Instead of leaning into the dramatics of overproduction, Presley and the team at Tangerine Cassette keep things minimal and intimate. The space between the beats matters just as much as the notes themselves. It’s in that space that the song breathes- and in doing so, allows listeners to do the same.
Lyrically, ‘Ghost’ captures the internal noise that builds when silence outside feels deafening. It’s the kind of song you play at 2am when your brain won’t shut off and you’re stuck reliving every conversation you wish you could rewrite. Presley doesn’t offer resolution, and that’s the point. ‘Ghost’ doesn’t try to fix the ache- it simply sits with it, gently.
This is Lauren Presley at her most raw and most resonant. She’s not just writing about being overwhelmed- she’s translating it sonically, with every pause and breath pulling the listener deeper into her headspace. It’s a moment of stillness in a world that won’t stop spinning.