Dennis Ellsworth is a highly talented singer-songwriter who
is not averse to baring his soul in a modest style. He has chiselled out
a decent following in the UK over the last couple of years and the release of
his new album ROMANTIC AS IT GETS is more power to the repertoire. Issued once
again on the Busted Flat Record label, this new cut sees Dennis return to the
location of one of his previous recording successes with the hope of continuing his
ascent into markets across North America and Europe. Dennis headed back to
Athens, Georgia to hook up with the team behind his 2012 successful release
DUSK DREAMS and the early vibes from the new album suggest another winning
ticket is in his hand.
Awards have been bestowed upon Dennis in his Prince Edward
Island home on Canada’s maritime east coast and it is surely only time before
wider national and international reward is forthcoming. Like so many effective
roots artists, Dennis hovers over influences from the country, folk and rock
sectors to hone a sound echoing across the spectrum and finding praise in the
constitution of music housed within the wide-reaching Americana movement. This
new record is heavily tilted to the sentimental side of music making with clear
evidence of seeking tender emotions and if anything blurring any perceived boundaries
between masculinity and femininity. There is a refreshing intelligence to all
ten songs on the record which are expressively blessed with an instant appeal
and palatable façade.
There is a ghostly wave of pedal steel across the tracks to
supplement the usual piano, organ and guitar pieces which underpin the sound.
This starts off in the exquisite opener ‘Shakin’
on the Plank’ rampant with an influential melody and peaks a few tracks
later with the utterly sublime ‘Skyline
River Valley Dream’. In an era of contrasting running lengths, Dennis
chooses to keep this record on the shorter side with thirty five minutes of
music, but this is ample time to get across the mood and finesse of an artist
perfectly at ease with his craft. ‘Stay
True’ is one of the tracks with a message and its sentiment could also
apply to a singer-songwriter exercising self-belief in their work.
The point in the record where Dennis gets right to the heart
of his tender side resides in the lullaby strains of ‘Shines the Sun in Your Mind’ where the sounds of steel and piano
collide to serenade the listener. ‘Ghost
of Love’ in the record’s early stages is another representative of the
subdued emotion with the honest endeavour of searching for answers. ‘Beauty and Sad’ is where the record
moves into higher impact mode with a strong melody throughout, commencing in
the opening bars and carrying over into the chorus. ‘Full Moon Blues’ is reflective of the album’s shorter songs and
successfully merges effective piano and percussion into its transmission as a
quintessential Dennis Ellsworth track.
‘Mercy Doll’ and ‘Make it Alright’ reflect the rockier
side to Dennis’s music with the former kicking in through a fuller drum sound.
The latter is among the numbers with a more listener-friendly chorus and responsible
for this record having few obstacles on the path to the keen ear. As indicated
earlier, the record is thoughtful and poignant in its construction with no
finer example than the closing track ‘Dancing
All Alone’. At this point the ultimate question of ‘do you still belong to
me’ is asked as the chasm of love is dealt with.
