Born in Savannah, Giorgia but now based in LA, this is Tawny Ellis' fourth album and it doesn't make me much inclined to hear the other three.
There's just nothing here that sounds truly heartfelt or innovative as she covers the gamut of familiar emotions ranging from love to loss to the despair that leads to drowning sorrows in whisky. There's no real punch behind the tunes so you never get the impression that she has suffered much for her art.
In her bio she says she is "inspired by Michelangelo and David Bowie by way of Ernest Hemmingway" but I challenge anyone to locate any solid proof of this in her look, voice or words.
The most obvious comparison would be to Emmylou Harris, a connection borne out by her bland cover of One More Cup Of Coffee, a song from Dylan's Desire album which featured Harris prominently on backing vocals.
|
Potentially the most interesting track is Erase You where she complains of a man who has treated her as a plaything and of wanting to be rid of him. "What can I do to erase you?" she sings bitterly but then neutralises the venom by adding weakly "not that I want to". In place of rage and histrionics we just get technique and compromise.
If a pitch perfect voice and good looks were a guarantee of success, Tawny Ellis would already be a star. But it's not and she isn't.
Tawny Ellis' Website
|
