Tawny Ellis: “Love Life” (2020) CD Review

Tawny Ellis is a singer and songwriter with a distinct and engaging voice. Her new album, Love Life, features mostly original material, written or co-written by Tawny Ellis. It also features the talents of Jesse Siebenberg and Ted Russell Kamp, who both perform on the album and co-wrote some of its material. In addition to providing the vocals and playing lap steel, Tawny Ellis plays Omnichord on a couple of tracks on this release.

Love Life opens with its title track, a positive pop tune, its title not referring to relationships, but rather an invitation to appreciate life, to work through the pain. Here is a taste of the lyrics: “Try to believe again/When it feels like it’s the end/It’s time to begin/Love life/You’ve got to find a silver lining.” It’s not easy, particularly these days, but Tawny Ellis makes it sound possible, and this song might provide you the strength and the stimulus to try. “Gather up these broken bones/Try to have faith again.” Jesse Siebenberg is on synths, pedal steel, lap steel and backing vocals on this track. This is one of the tracks where Tawny plays Omnichord. She also plays Omnichord on the following track, “Moonshine,” a song that develops a compelling sound, almost as if coming from some other plane. That is partly because of the changes Tawny Ellis takes in her vocal approach to different lines and sections of the song. It is a gorgeous and exciting performance. There is also a strangely haunting instrumental section. “Moonshine” was written by Tawny Ellis and Dylan Day. Dylan Day also plays electric guitar on this track.

“Pretend Love” is a beautiful and moving song, this one written by Tawny Ellis and Jesse Siebenberg. Jesse plays all the instruments on this track, and also provides some backing vocals. “And we know how much it hurts/How much it hurts/To start it again/But we’re taking the same chance/All over again.” And the lines that stand out for me every time I listen to this track are “You make me feel so good/Because you know all my weak spots.” I love the ache and passion in Tawny’s voice. Jesse Siebenberg also plays all the instruments on “Spark Of Love,” which he also co-wrote with Tawny Ellis. On “No More,” both Tawny Ellis and Jesse Seibenberg play lap steel. Gio Loria, Tawny’s husband, is on bass. This song’s opening lines are “I give my heart too easily/Hand over pieces to those who don’t deserve me.” I’m guessing lots of people can relate to those lines.

Ted Russell Kamp has a new album coming out, but that doesn’t mean he took any sort of break from working with other artists, and on “Deep End Of Love” he plays guitar and bass. He also co-wrote the song with Tawny Ellis. This one has a gorgeous sound. Jesse Siebenberg is on keys, and Jamie Douglass (who also plays on Ted’s new release) is on drums. It is Tawny’s vocal performance that is the focus, and this song has an excellent vocal line. Check out these lyrics: “She really thought that she had found real love/She gave everything up/And he knew how to hypnotize/He crawled inside her mind/With a promise of a new life/If she would just become his wife.” Ted Russell Kamp also co-wrote “I Believe” with Tawny Ellis, and plays bass on this one. Gio Loria is on guitar. This one has more of a bite to its sound, and to Tawny’s vocal delivery. “Why are you going to let anyone hold you down/Why are you going to listen to what they say/You know what’s been going around.” Yet, it comes from a place of affection. Sometimes what we really need is to hear someone say “I believe in you.” That’s followed by “Powers That Be,” which was also written by Tawny Ellis and Ted Russell Kamp. It is a powerful and moving song about natural elements that have created disasters – fires and floods. There is a desperation to the song’s sound, particularly in the vocal performance, and it’s hard to not internalize that ourselves, to keep from being affected. Scarlet Rivera adds some gorgeous work on violin, helping to make this track one of the album’s highlights. “Show me the way though this dark night/If I am to stay, teach me to fight.”

“Daddy” is another powerful song, looking back at the funeral of her father, at childhood trauma, and living with it. “You’ve got your whole life ahead/Don’t worry about what he did/Just use your voice and do your very best/Because sometimes life puts you to the test/And I know you were just a little kid.” This line really stands out: “I need you to know that I’m doing all right.” This is ultimately a song of forgiveness. Tawny’s vocals are supported by some excellent work by Brooke Lizotte on piano. The album concludes with its only cover, a nice rendition of Steely Dan’s “Dirty Work.” Ted Russell Kamp plays guitar, bass and shaker on this track, and provides some backing vocals. Kaitlin Wolfberg also joins Tawny Ellis on this track, playing violin and providing backing vocals. She is another musician who seems to be working constantly, and I am always happy to hear her play. I am not a Steely Dan fan, but I do really like this rendition.

CD Track List

1. Love Life
2. Moonshine
3. Pretend Love
4. No More
5. Deep End Of Love
6. Spark Of Love
7. I Believe
8. Powers That Be
9. Daddy
10. Dirty Work

Love Life is scheduled to be released on July 24, 2020.