Ghosts of Patrick Swayze

Opposites will attract. Contrast draws companionship. Parallels can bisect.

Underground Hip-Hop and Acoustic Rock have met before, but never with the emotional appeal as Ghosts of Patrick Swayze (aka GPS).

Composed of rapper The Top Civilian [Eric Osterholm I] and singer/guitarist Cyle Loupin, GPS simply began as two co-workers bonding over music and jamming for their patients. Eventually the duo’s weirdly complimentary styles made for a magnetic release.

The self-released ‘Lost in a Sea of Stars’ is rife with earnest, expressive poetic narratives.

Lead single “Hello There” is an especially moving ride, very effectively using the contrast in the two voices to dually narrate. Produced by a frequent collaborative of The Top Civilian’s other band - The Gateway Drug - J-Smalls crafts a smoky dreamscape for GPS to pluck the heartstrings of a love song with a twist.

Dropping anchor on the nautical and astrology theme illustrated on the album’s cover, “Lost at Sea” lures listeners in immediately. The first sound heard on the album, a reversed percussion roll, impeccably replicates a tide hitting shore. J-Smalls returns to shape a siren’s song, underscored by eerie keyboard melodies and echoed drums that forcefully crash perfectly against the lyrical vessel.

As unique as The Top Civilian’s life has been, his autobiographical first verse is still a very relatable, universal tale. The second verse comes out from nowhere (other than the at-the-time verse subtle ending to verse one) with some heavy observations of a man overboard! A mid-verse breakdown that removes the bass to stand on minimal instrumentation is a moment of instant zen that will leave listeners tingling for a rewind with something to think about for the rest of the day.

"Why do hurt ourselves just to take away the pain?
Why do we choose to burn in hell just to dance with the flames?"

Like the eye amidst a violent storm, Cyle’s poignant singing of the chorus ties the entire composition together.

Not to be eclipsed, the album-closing “Lost at Sea – Remix” reimagines the crisis and elicits a ‘quiet storm’ vibe with calm, but problematic waters under a star-filled midnight sky.

The tense, yet very open and free “Keep Pushing Through” provides a mellow break and reprieve from the high seas anxiety of previous songs (notably the ticking time bomb stress-relief of the Roymega-produced “These Things Take Time…”). Cyle’s solo strumming and warm vocals reassure this voyage won’t capsize; rather, this trip is what the passengers intend to make it. The Top Civilian affirms the idea, rapping his optimism over acoustic guitar. This track will catch many off guard in the best possible way.

The fierceness resumes on the latter half of ‘Lost in a Sea of Stars’ after Cyle’s breezy solo song “Fly Away” builds up the momentum to take to the sky.

“Nero (Mainstream Music)” and “Extravagant” are back-to-back sermons covering opposite topics under the same subject matter umbrella. While “Nero” takes to task the unscrupulous assembly line industry of no-talent pop rappers, “Extravagant” internalizes personal success, or lack thereof. Both are punchy, cutting and aggressive but maintain a keen vulnerability.

“Extravagant” feels like an internal soliloquy racing to resolution. Musician and producer Taylor Medina’s spacey dissonance delivers a sense of urgency. The imagery Cyle rapidly paints during the hook significantly flushes out the message in The Top Civilian’s verses. The two vocalists’ chemistry comes together best on this song. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for future songwriting cohesion in further blending Acoustic Rock and Hip-Hop into a single seamless, harmonious expression.

All in all, Ghosts of Patrick Swayze’s nine-track maiden expedition is a hauntingly beautiful experience that defies any genre. Many of its questions go unsolved; instead the focus encourages the listener to use GPS as the map to navigate the stars themselves once they set minds adrift.

Bon voyage! - Forces Of Obvious Luck Media