London based Solo Artist Ella Bleakley has unveiled her debut album as a follow-on from her last single, ‘Rogue’. 9-5 yet again, confronts us with Ella’s storytelling a peaceful track about working for the right kind of love carried by a peaceful melody that embodies enchantingly human lyrics.
The added delicacies of self-acceptance are woven within a Jazz like vibe, a project which she claims, to have “Picked me up one day, and has not put me down since.”
Coast and Black begins with the sound of crashing waves and ballad-esc keys, with chilled hushed vocal tones to a more upbeat melody than the opener. “You put the L in Love.” is the start of a sonnet-formed song filled with subtleties of vulnerability and openness to new emotions. ‘Somewhere Green’ is here starting to shape as a formula for hanging plants, incense sticks and no concept of time, as it takes you on a journey of self-expression and love.
Ego is a completely different composition to begin with, opening with a similar feeling to Tim Burton’s hauntings of the Nightmare Before Christmas, there is a cartoon eeriness which is washed back into tranquillity 15 seconds in.
Past the introduction we’re back into the slow-paced territory and mindfulness which is familiar to hear from Ella Bleakley. The two voices on this track melt into each other creating a proud harmony, Ego offers itself as the most structurally complex track on the album whilst still setting boundaries.
Solo follows this, with another eerie start, where the empty space between lyrics creates a Neo-Soul effect. There is a confidence that oozes in this song, one of newfound self-discovery and a sweet notion towards the world’s outlook. A repetitive song acting as a mantra to nature.
Learning gives an overall R&B feel, with a looping beat and the contrast of male and female tones. The lyrics sound soulful and free-flowing, it is the shortest song on the album but doesn’t feel compact or underwhelming.
With each new track there is a bigger idea of genre, but sticking to the untroubled lyrics finds Midnight Sun to define itself better as a pop track and is a completeness of ‘Somewhere Green’s’ self-journey.
Ella Bleakley seems to write a stream of natural positivity winding down to quieter reverbed tones similar to that of a violin but less jumpy. Somewhere Green finishes on the self-titled track, honing back in on Ella’s songwriting craft and earnest expressions.
Overall, the album is created with newfound glass-half-full attitude, heightened in this song by the plucking guitar playing and finishes all consumed by unapologetic notions.