In a world where press releases have replaced stories, I suppose that we should be grateful that the wandering troubadour still survives and, with that mind, let’s move on to the words and music that make up Ellis Paul’s new album “The Storyteller’s Suitcase”.
It is abundantly clear from the first song on this album – “I Ain’t No Jesus” – that Ellis Paul is man whose words will always be seasoned with sentiment yet this sentimentality is not just, as you might normally expect in there retro obsessed times, a cue for a reverential return to the stories, sights and sounds of the good old days. It is to his credit, therefore, that Ellis Paul staunchly keeps his songs rooted in today as he spins his tales of better times read from the book of the world as it actually is with “Slingshot”, in particular, demonstrating his skill as a polished storyteller. His stories always have the point too and even the old school vibe that permeates the melody of a song like “Election Day” can’t hide the fact that his finger is always precisely pointed at the false gods of the present.
Whilst never overtly political, there is nonetheless a notable element of protest in his words and, complemented by his poetic inclinations, Ellis Paul takes us on a musical journey along a road that we should all walk upon while we still can. That makes him a literate commentator on the world around us and, consequently, a voice that should be heard.