Review: Quirky, intense “Robert Ellis”

By Paul T. Mueller

“You are the only person who truly knows what is supposed to happen with your art,” Robert Ellis writes in the booklet that accompanies his self-titled latest CD. The Texas-born singer-songwriter takes those words to heart, having moved on from his earlier country-folk sound. There’s still plenty of Texas in his voice, but from the lyrics and arrangements on Robert Ellis, he seems to have more in common these days with the likes of Paul Simon (whose songs he’s covered both live and on record) than with most of his Lone Star State contemporaries.

You don’t have to dig too hard to get to the truths Ellis is trying to put across. They’re pretty much right on the surface. The opening track, “Perfect Strangers,” describes, with unflinching directness, the progression of a romance from giddy beginnings to eventual disillusionment. “Perfect strangers moving further with each heartbeat,” Ellis sings, “in directions that may not meet up again.” The same kind of quiet desperation informs “California,” whose narrator is trying to make plans out of the ashes of a relationship, and “Drivin’,” a story of boredom and hopelessness that was co-written by Angaleena Presley.

Grim stuff, it would seem, but Ellis’ bouncy melodies and imaginative arrangements form an interesting counterpart to the depressing words. More contrast can be found between the backwoods twang of Ellis’ voice and the sophistication of his arrangements and playing. He’s equally at home and equally skilled on keyboards and guitar, and gets plenty of room to demonstrate his virtuosity on both.

Ellis’ penchant for drama shows in the crashing chords of “How I Love You”; the soft/loud dynamics of “You’re Not the One,” about the disturbing suspicion that one has ended up with the wrong person, and the discordant playing on the album’s closer, the forbidden-love anthem “It’s Not OK.”

There aren’t a lot of happy tunes in this collection; the only one that really merits that label is “Couples Skate,” a lively rocker about young love at the skating rink, and the hope that it may turn into something longer-lasting. “Please don’t move too fast, make it last,” Ellis sings. “The music is slow, I never wanna let go.”

There’s only one name on the cover, but Robert Ellis is very much a band effort. Guitarist Kelly Doyle, bassist Geoff Muller, steel-guitar player Will Van Horn and drummer Michael (Tank) Lisenbe have been together for a while and they’re good. Ellis produced the album, with help from Doyle.

Thematic darkness aside, Robert Ellis is a fine artistic achievement. It’s quirky, intense and most likely exactly what Robert Ellis wanted it to be.