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Ellis Paul

The Alternate Root

The Alternate Root

Sunday, November 9, 2014

by Danny McCloskey
The Alternate Root

The Alternate Root
Ellis Paul is Chasing Beauty, using the personal influences of inspiration from his own heroes. The album, produced by Kristian Bush of Sugarland and Brandon Bush of Train, captures tracks a year and half in the making. Among the varied stories of accomplishment, Ellis Paul weaves in a little bit of himself with views on the current state of life in America. He feels Chasing Beauty is an adult-themed record, describing it as ‘a story teller’s record. Songs inspired by heroes of mine…the legendary Johnny Cash, Jimmie Angel, a barn storming pilot in the 1930’s who discovered the world’s largest waterfall that now carries his name, a soldier coming home from war in Afghanistan, a blue collar musician inspired by Boston legend Dennis Brennan in “Waiting on a Break”, the Boston Red Sox in “UK Girl / Boston Calling”, even Shakespeare in the Romeo and Juliet remake “Rose in a Cage” and lastly, the men and women who built the Empire State Building’.

Chasing Beauty beats a path to love over hurried rhythms and got-your-back harmonies in “Never Want to Lose You”, takes its time to stroll through Cambridge, Mass’ Central Square in “One Kiss Could Do Me In” and treads lightly in the vocals across the high stepping horns, organs pumps and chopped guitar chords of “Love Is a Curious Thing”. Ellis Paul is textbook troubadour, spreading his songs like seeds across the world to let a little light grow in our lives. He is Chasing Beauty from town to town as a living and on the album of the same name, he re-tells tales that have been spread over nineteen albums in a quarter-century plus career. Ellis Paul’s road can be heard in the stories with a high-spirited voice that has the innocence and excitement of never having left home. He is on a mission, verified by his thoughts that ‘I’ve got a car with over 475,000 miles on it, and it’s my third road vehicle. I’ve been doing 200 shows a year for over 20 years. There isn’t a town in the country where I won’t find a friend. And I’m gonna write and play until I’m gone’.

Danny McCloskey
The Alternate Root

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