New Artist Alert: Ellie Walker

Photo by Paul Capewell

Does the name sound familiar? Well it should do, just last month Ellie Walker cropped up in my review for Saturday Night Gym Club after her track 'I Know' was remixed by the band. But today is all about her, and where better to start than with the original version of the song. Ellie's sound fuses folk and acoustic styles with a pop-edge that is clearly evident in 'I Know' with its simple arrangement and structure. The vocals are easy and soothing with a whole load of space, the piano ostinato is always at the foreground of the track whilst the drums are totally minimal but with great lifting-snare fills every so often. There's a real treat towards the end of the track where the vocals harmonise wonderfully; just so you know that I still need you around; the gradual crescendo as the rest of the instruments slip away unnoticed is a fantastic end to a brilliantly simple song.

'Tonight' features a catchy, picky acoustic guitar part that compliments Ellie's dreamy voice which is really exposed here but stands its ground well. The track is really nice but could maybe do with another dimension, perhaps a simple cello part just to maintain the listener's interest and help progress the song. I really enjoyed the cover of 'Call The Shots', adding a slightly sinister and retrospective downbeat feel in great contrast to the Girls Aloud original. Definitely an interesting choice of cover and arrangement.

You can listen to all of Ellie's music on her Myspace page so be sure to keep up to date with her!