motel void

Steph Sweet is a distinctive voice in the UK underground scene, known for blending elements of punk, folk, and psychedelia. Her sound has often drawn comparisons to artists like PJ Harvey and Mazzy Star. With her new EP, Ghost Signal, she takes a surprising turn. As Sweet explains, “In a break from my usual genres, due to a bad fall in a storm on wet rocks in December, injuries meant I couldn’t play guitar and so indulged my love of trip-hop, dream-pop and IDM in a traditional quartet of love songs.”

Her new release opens with a richly textured palette, drawing from shoegaze, slowcore, and that same hazy atmosphere reminiscent of Mazzy Star. The track is carried by a powerful instrumental wave, blending layers of ambient guitars with Sweet’s voice, which takes center stage. A standout element here is the organic-sounding drums – warm, full, and grounded – anchoring the track as it slips between psychedelic swirls and a subtle ‘60s vibe.

Tuesday Love leans deeper into trip-hop territory, but is laced with a gothic, almost horror-like undercurrent. This mood intensifies as a heavy, industrial beat crashes in around the one-minute mark. It feels a bit like the soundtrack to reading Edgar Allan Poe by candlelight. The vocal production here stands out too – it feels closely tied to the instrumental atmosphere, less hook-driven than Ghost Signal, but more immersive in its own eerie way. The track ends on a dark and dramatic note, leaving behind a distinctively goth impression that even evokes the mood of classic Hitchcock films.

Burn So Good delves even further into this gothic trip-hop fusion. As the track unfolds, it’s overtaken by a pounding beat and crystalline synth lines. Of all the songs on the EP, this one feels most closely aligned with the cover art – haunting yet elegant, with a memorable repeating motif that emerges near the end and ranks among the highlights of the entire project.

The final track, Hand in Hand, creates a dreamy, romantic atmosphere reminiscent of Skunk Anansie or the soundtrack to Cruel Intentions. It’s one of the more minimalist moments on the EP, yet deeply effective. The guitar that enters around the one-minute mark amplifies the emotion, while the ethereal backing vocals give it a sense of weightless intimacy. It plays like a ballad, aided by Sweet’s soft, almost whisper-like delivery – seemingly understated, yet it sinks in and stays with you. Clocking in at just over five minutes, the track gradually builds with heavier tones and beats, culminating in a hypnotic, repetitive ending that feels both melancholic and strangely comforting.

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