2021’s ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix’ has become the gold-standard for experimental hip-hop this decade, and the reasons why are plain as paper: Injury Reserve’s magnum opus was a landmark release that balanced jaw-dropping production against some of the bleakest and most visceral emotional content in the genre. The death of group member Groggs hung over every second of that album, and it’s a loss you can still hear echoing throughout ‘My Ghosts Go Ghost.’ Now releasing under the name By Storm, Nathaniel Ritchie and Parker Corey are back once again: the duo’s talents are on full display, though the album is unfortunately all too reflective of its own circumstances.

Far from settling down, By Storm are sounding just as experimental and moody on their latest record as any of their previous: ‘My Ghosts Go Ghost’ is a little more stripped-back than the overwhelming exploits of ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix,’ but the duo’s commitment to strange and abstract song ideas remains in full force. Still, the group’s first work as a two-piece gets off to a precarious opening with ‘Can I Have You For Myself?,’ a track packed with melancholic acoustic guitar lines and heartbreaking lamentations from Ritchie.

“Call I have you all for me?

Things been slow: things been sweet

Been us two, it’s finna be three

See, when I’m holding you, it’s finna be we”

It’s certainly an emotional gut punch of an opener, although the way Corey layers harsh industrial drum loops against those sparse melodic elements and endlessly repeated refrains leaves the cut feeling somewhat directionless— indeed, By Storm write themselves into a corner quite frequently on the new album. The following ‘Dead Weight’ is similarly unsure of itself, smacking a monotonous Corey beat against some of Ritchie’s most confused deliveries on the mic in a manner that feels dizzying, and not in an interesting psychedelic fashion. The confidence Injury Reserve were exhibiting on their last release feels, quite understandably, absent on ‘My Ghosts Go Ghost:’ this record is far more hit-or-miss.

By Storm seem to have only a passing interest in converting their wild sonic experiments into definable songs, and it shows in the lengthy structures and free-flowing nature of the album— the approach works best in the record’s most atmospheric moments, when Corey’s production is fully allowed to envelope you. ‘In My Town’ captures the same feeling of imposing dread that made ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix’ so intoxicating, leaving the listener to wade through this hazy collection of reverberating drum hits and distant samples: Ritchie feels much more comfortable on the mic here as well, transitioning between impassioned verses and haunting melodic hooks smoothly. By Storm seems well-aware of their place in the modern hip-hop landscape— Corey is not the Alchemist, and he has no interest in trying to be— and, credit to them, the duo fully commit to their atypical style. The crackling static of ‘Zig Zag,’ overwhelming brass samples of ‘Double Trio 2’ and frenetic layering of ‘And I Dance’ all prove the producer to be a generational talent: his contributions are the linchpin holding this otherwise scattered album together.

To our dismay though, ‘My Ghosts Go Ghost’ can’t quit escape a certain level disconnect between its two creators: many of the tracks here feel like they’re swimming in circles, caught between ambition and hesitancy. Ritchie’s flows frequently appear to be out-of-sync with the hard-to-pin-down instrumentation bubbling away beneath, especially when his anguished delivery clashes with the record’s most muted passages— the repeated refrains on ‘Zig Zag’ and unsettled verses on ‘And I Dance’ sit quite uncomfortably up against Corey’s beats, crossing  a line between clever subversion and awkward experimentation. The hushed voices that both Ritchie and guest feature Billy Woods lean into on standout cut ‘Best Interest’ do feel perfectly suited to that song’s wide-open presentation: we just wish By Storm had taken a similar approach to the oddly straightforward ‘Grapefruit’ and the maximalist ‘Double Trio 2.’ At least the duo come together in a big way for the touching ‘GGG,’ which closes the record on a particularly sweet and reflective mood. Somewhere in amongst the chaos, By Storm manage to find some catharsis— that alone is quite beautiful.

‘My Ghosts Go Ghost’ is not a triumphant comeback for the members of Injury Reserve, and it’s very clear that it was never meant to be: this is an incredibly vulnerable listen that puts Corey and Ritchie’s talents right up against their pains and anxieties. It’s definitely a mixed bag as things stand right now, full of as many atmospheric highlights as confusing missteps, but that’s probably to be expected after the death of Groggs. By Storm are still finding their feet here— the fact that their newest album has its moments regardless is promising for the future.