John Ellis – Rural

Sometimes there is more to one’s music than there seems. Some bands like to bury messages like they are burying pennies in the sand while others are honestly blunt and to the point. Johnny Cash was a musician who could send a message through his music like no other. Johnny set the standard for this kind of blunt honesty. John Ellis has released a collection of songs, fifteen of them, that will tell you like it is above the beautiful acoustic music he creates.

Rural is a beautifully produced, written and performed album with songs straight from the heart. I could go through every topic he sings about but then I would be doing an injustice to his new listeners. His songs range from the mere two minutes long to the nearly four and a half minutes long leaving him long enough to tell his story that he feels he needs to tell with each song.

He does through some blues into the song “Jack Kerouac’s Blues” with its old time bluesy swag. But that’s just one example, he throws some bluegrass in there as well along with straight out beautiful acoustic songs. Although these songs sound rather plain and simple, the fact is they are nowhere close to plain and simple. That’s the beauty of it all. When you have this album playing, you don’t know where John is going to take you, yet once the song starts it don’t matter where he takes you because chances are you’re going to enjoy it. There is never much simplicity in a journey; it’s all planned by those who create for those who listen to take. Once again, that is the beauty within Rural.

John Ellis has many stories to tell and from listening to this album, he is just getting started. I know this isn’t the typical review by any means. I’ve only mentioned one song throughout the whole review and that was just to tell you about the style of the song. But this is no typical album and John Ellis is an extraordinary musician and storyteller who deserves to be heard. I’ve had this album on circulation for over a week and it will remain that way for a long time. His music is truly inspirational and is a breath of fresh air when it comes to his style of acoustic storytelling. Whether he is playing his acoustic guitar, piano, harmonica or anything else he throws into his music, it’s what he creates with his words that showcase what John Ellis is all about. Don’t hesitate to be inspired.

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars!

Album Name: Rural
Date Released: June, 2012
Genres: Singer-songwriter
Location: South Africa
Band Members: John Ellis
Website: www.johnellis.co.za
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnEllis.co.za
Myspace: http://myspace.com/johnelliscoza
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/johnelliscoza

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