AN INDIE DISTINCTION : ELLUR’S DEBUT RECORD ‘AT HOME IN MY MIND’
ALBUM REVIEW | ELLUR – AT HOME IN MY MIND by Isobel O’Mahoney
After support slots with bands like Supergrass, and storming stages on her first headline tour this year, singer-songwriter Ellur’s debut record has been one to wait for. The Yorkshire artist has built a pretty great discography, so personal expectations of the album were pretty high, and although it’s rare to be blown away by a debut record, trust a fellow Northern girl to do it.
It’s no secret the current indie scene is overcrowded, and sometimes it’s hard to stand apart from the noise. But At Home In My Mind is clearly born from its themes, rather than the sound, so is unafraid to take notes from guitar music, techno elements, and sometimes wrapped up in melancholic acoustics. Ellur lets us into her thoughts and fears, casually walking the line between interesting, visual lyricism and the simple feel of the songs. It doesn’t listen like a debut album, carefully produced but appearing effortless, each track telling its own story but still easily flowing into the next.
Opening song “God Help Me Now” is a strong start, establishing steady drums and flickering piano. It immediately hits like a Wolf Alice or Sam Fender tune, again brilliant production, with build ups, self harmonies and exemplifying Ellur’s impressive range when hitting those lower notes. It’s the fear of getting older, not knowing where to go, stressed through final echoing calls of “God help me now”. “Missing Kid” carries on the impressive vocals, alongside non-stop guitar rings and an unexpected, crisp drum run. Ellur’s voice haunts each track, as if her thoughts are whizzing around your head. Her voice incites imagery, creating magic on “The Wheel” with ruminative lyrics building up to an addictive badgering of “keep spinning” at the end.
“Dream of Mine” and “Yellow Light” build on acoustic strums, stray progressions balanced with guitar licks and distortion. The tracks are all definitely part of the same album and despite using similar elements, don’t fall victim to repetition, instead reworking motifs to fit different thoughts and feelings. A lot of the tracks are slower, but go beyond just being sad indie songs.
I did start to want for something heavier, see what Ellur could do with a bulky, fast foundation after these more lethargic tunes, and it was like she could hear me. “The World Is Not An Oyster” starts off with high notes on acoustics, but builds into big crashing drums under pointed lyrics (“I didn’t mean to cause a scene/but I went crazy at 19”). “Disintegrate” was interesting, marking a turn on the albums journey with its heavy, almost electronic at times sound. These are my standouts on the record, and I hope it encourages louder experimentation for future releases.
The album ends on three strong, heavily reflective tracks. “Lonelier in Heaven” really speaks to a lot of young people today, “And it’s a long way to 25/I got memories burning through me/I hate having so much time“. The heavy is called back in, but stays dreamy whilst consistently hitting you in the heart.
The title tune “At Home In My Mind” was quite emotional for me, and is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed the record so much, opening on sounds of the countryside. It sounds like home for me in the spring, which as a fellow Yorkshire girl I’m sure is the same for Ellur. I felt a little homesick for sunny days gone, and whilst the song still had that constructive build it was heavy, for me, in a more emotional way. Although the transitive ending of drum crashes to distant echoes was pretty mega.
“Knowing” ties the album up with beautiful strings, carrying the music back to the start with those lingering vocals and ending a truly brilliant debut. Sometimes first records can be a jumble sale of experiments, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s how you find what works. But to create an original cohesive work without gormless repetition and that stands out from an already overblown sound, is a mark of true talent and care; my standards are high for whatever comes next.
At Home In My Mind by Ellur is OUT NOW via Dance To The Radio – Listen Here
You can catch Ellur live on stage on the dates listed below:
6th February – The Trades Club, Hebden Bridge (sold-out)
10th February – Rough Trade Denmark Street, London (in-store show)
11th February – Crash Records, Leeds (in-store show)
25th Feb – Soho Calling, Third Man Records, London
25th April – Albany Arcade, Halifax
26th April – King Tuts, Glasgow
28th April – Strange Brew, Bristol
29th April – Colours, London
30th April – Yellow Arch Studios, Sheffield
23rd May – Neighbourhood Weekender, Warrington
1st August – Kendal Calling
2nd August – Camp Bestival
