Sophomore album from East London singer-songwriter Ella Clayton.  Could It Be You? holds: “moments of revelation, flashes of strength and the growing realization that no-one else holds the answers.  It can only be you.”

A JOURNEY THROUGH LONGING AND SELF-INTERROGATION…

Could It Be You? is the second album from East London singer-songwriter Ella Clayton and it follows her 2022 debut offering, Murmurations.  Described as: “…a deeply personal collection of songs, Murmurations established Ella as a rising voice on the UK indie-folk circuit – a presence that was consolidated by her 2023 EP, Stairwell.

For Stairwell, Ella adopted a stripped-back acoustic sound with the intention of capturing the raw intimacy of her live performances and that’s an approach that she’s continued to pursue with Could It Be You?  Sort of…  Could It Be You? was recorded over a 3-day period at George Ezra’s Quebec Hotel studio with the help of Producer Lester Duval and, to preserve that ‘live stage’ feel, the rhythm tracks were all recorded live.

Ella describes Could It Be you? as: “… a journey through longing and self-interrogation, the search for something or someone outside of myself to tell me who I am and what I want.  I hope that people recognize themselves in these snapshots from my life and take comfort in the shared experience.”

CASCADING WORDS

Could It Be You? gets off to fine start.  The band are in tight accord and Ella stamps her vocal authority from the very start of opening track Please Me.  Words: “I ain’t never let a lover linger long enough to give me what I want – and that’s no lie” cascade alliterively from Ella’s head as the organ simmers and the guitars wail.  And her voice has a deep infusion of pure soul.

The chugging, grungy rock of Mouth Said Money comes as something of a shock after such a soulful start, but it’s a shock that soon wears off.  The sweet, trusting, tone is still there in Ella’s voice, with urgency creeping in as she hits the song’s “Why do I spend all my time on it?” climax.

The most recent of the three singles to preview Could It Be You?, Dolomites is an engaging baroque waltz, with echo-y piano leading the accompaniment to Ella’s Dusty Springfield-flavoured vocal.  It’s cool – almost jazzy – and nicely laid back, except when the vibe is invaded by a burst of 70s blues rock and – you know what?  The contrast works well.

A DUSTING OF DUSTY…

Another of those sneaky preview singles, Ripples is a song that, in Ella’s words: “… traces emotional territory that is rarely spoken about without shame.”  The song builds nicely, with strings supplementing the album’s default guitar/bass/keys/drums formula and, once again, there’s a dusting of Dusty in Ella’s vocal tones.

The funky I Miss Strangers came about during lockdown, when “the small, transformative encounters with people on trains and on street corners had been abruptly taken away.”  The band are cooking on this one and, this time, Ella’s intimate vocals owe perhaps more to Dionne Warwick than to Dusty…

Acoustic guitar is foremost in the backing to the album’s folky title track.  The vocal intimacy – a feature of several of the album’s tracks – is, if anything, intensified, whilst the band is restrained, with brushed drums and soft bass.  The chorus is a laid-back singalong, and the feeling it leaves is a pleasant one!

…AND A SAMPLE OF SANDY

One of several album highlights, the hymn-like Rain All Day is a song that Ella co-wrote with her near namesake, Ella Hohnen-Ford, who also sits in on piano for the song.  The fingerpicked acoustic guitar is fluid and tasteful and the rich, mellow vocal harmonies are sweetened further by George Lloyd-Owen’s string arrangement.

Adding to the comparisons with Dusty Springfield and Dionne Warwick, it’s Sandy Denny that comes to mind with October Trip.  It’s one of the album’s gentler numbers and the spirit of Sandy shines through both in Ella’s lyrical phrasing and in her vocal delivery, whilst Alex Crawford’s swooping guitar fills emphasise the song’s country feel.

Ella is accompanied by acoustic guitar for the folky Seagull Song and there’s a deep resonance to her voice that has, hitherto, been absent.  The strings are still here, but they’re restrained, leaving the floor – and the spotlight – to Ella and that voice of hers.

A RARE LOVE SONG

Perhaps that album’s loneliest song, Tell Me Something “traces the cruelty of turning to the harshest critic in your own head for guidance and being met with malice in return.”  A weepy violin joins the acoustic guitar as Ella sings her intense, considered lyrics: “I heard it on the news; the world keeps on turning,” and there’s both honesty and anguish in her voice.

It’s left to the album’s lead single, As You Are, to bring Could It Be You? to its close.  Speaking of the song, Ella says: “It is a rare love song about friendship, sparked by a mundane moment of spotting a close friend haggling for jeans at a market stall, unaware that she was being watched.  [It’s] a warm nod to how platonic love is worth celebrating just as loudly as the romantic one.”  The full band are in on this one, including the strings.  It’s happy, but there’s also an element of wistfulness evident in Ella’s words and in her expression.  And the final folk-rock crescendo brings a comforting sense of closure.

MOMENTS OF REVELATION; FLASHES OF STRENGTH

Looking back at Could It Be You?, Ella concludes: “Nothing is fixed.  As these songs unfold, there are moments of revelation, flashes of strength, and the growing realization that no-one else holds the answers.  It can only be you.”  That’s advice that’s always worth remembering…

Ella will be launching Could It Be You? with a special show at Soho’s iconic 100 Club on 28^th May.  If you fancy popping along, tickets can be purchased here.

Watch the official video to Could It Be You? – the album’s title track – below:

Ella Clayton: Website

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