Continuing to showcase her talent and place her mark on the music scene; today, rising singer-songwriter Ella Bleakley is back with the release of her exciting debut EP, Somewhere Green. A stunning 7-track record, the album has been a long time in the making and is certainly one to take you on an emotional sonic journey. With elements of pop, indie, and jazz genres weaving their way throughout the record, Somewhere Green is a true depiction of Ella’s diverse and unique artistry – with this seamlessly paired alongside her delicate and intoxicating vocals. Marking the beginning of another exciting new chapter for the talented artist, she is certainly one to watch this year, and we can’t wait to see what’s to come next.
A true expression of Ella’s creativity, and showcasing a level of vulnerability and intimacy through the powerful and poignant melodies and lyricism, the album begins with the truly enchanting and emotive track, 925. Stripped back and minimalistic in its sonic composition, the song features a delicate piano instrumental that is seamlessly accompanied by Ella’s sentimental vocals, and tells a narrative about working tirelessly for love. With her vocals at the forefront of the sonic landscape, we can truly get a sense of her artistic talent and skill. And the raw and visible nature of her vocals in the track allow the emotion and passion to come through in such a striking way, allowing the gentle melodies and harmonies pull you into the immersive soundscape.
Continuing this melodic theme throughout the album, with it being a truly intoxicating and captivating listening experience, Ella continues to hone and build on her craft and sound – adding in new generic elements and layers; from soulful Amy Winehouse-esque jazz vibes on track number 3, ego, to some up-temp and rhythmic R&B leaning instrumentation on track number 5, Learning. Telling a story that primarily centres around notions of self-love and growth, the album is certainly one of progress, healing, and love, with these themes weaving their way throughout the course of the record.
Talking about the title track, Something green, Ella explains:
“The process was kind of crazy. It technically started back when I was in school, I wrote this song for a girl and It never really materialised into anything. So I kept the song and re wrote it. I think when I was about 16 or 17 I took it to a producer, we recorded it etc but it didn’t really ever get finished. I think after that experience I kept the song to myself for a while and continued to work on it. I think because it continued to remain relevant to my past, present and future, perfecting it became like a therapy for me. I was able to channel so much into this one piece of work, I feel like the song absorbed a lot of my trouble/pain/ experience. Fast-forward a year I joined uni, I met some very talented people and I felt ready to record it properly and release that energy that I felt was built into the song. So that’s what I did. And it took quite a while to make actually. But I really loved that process, and it healed a lot for me. Thats what music does for me in general, it acts as a healer”.
Bringing the album to a close on track number seven, is the title track, Somewhere green. Written almost as the main even of the album, with the previous six tracks acting as a kind of ‘prequel’ to Something green, the song brings the record full circle as it delivers a narrative all about letting love find you and being at peace with however it comes to you. Maintaining the same melodic and ambient energy as the rest of the album, Ella adds to the soundscape with a slight retro vinyl crackling effect that, alongside her soulful and timeless vocals, gives the illusion of stepping back in time and truly transports you into a whole other world. And even with the song being written over three years ago, it still wholly captures the overarching nature of the album and makes for a perfect end to the record.
An absolute ‘can’t miss’ album; to keep up with Ella and all her latest releases, make sure to check her out on all her socials: @ellableakleyy
