French-Cuban duo Ibeyi’s debut EP, Oya, just came out last year and their unique way of approaching old sounds with a contemporary point of view already feels familiar. On March 2nd, XL will release their first full-length, and we can start getting excited thanks “Ghosts,” the album’s first preview, and its music video.
On “Ghosts” we find the Díaz sisters in their signature setup: piano, cajón, vocals, and very little programming. The song has a subtle but infectious rhythm, and the vocals are simply stunning, especially when Lisa-Kaindé hits those high notes. Towards the end of the song, there’s a painfully beautiful section where she sings only with her piano, just before dropping into a joyous chant sung in Yoruba.
Its accompanying video, directed by Ed Morris, who also directed their video for “River” (one of our favorites from last year,) is made out of overlapping black-and-white images of the sisters, producing a ghostly effect.