:: Matt Ellis - Tell The People

Matt Ellis

In 2005 Australian singer-songwriter Matt Ellis relocated to Los Angeles, and the move would appear to have paid off. Tell The People is an assured collection of folk rock, embellished with an authentic country twang, thanks to a first class band of supporting players with impressive résumés (working with acts as diverse as Joni Mitchell, Beck, KD Lang, Emmylou Harris and Wilco). Ellis proves to be adept at rootsy rabble-rousing on Hey Mister, with its gutsy if ambiguous railing against the man. However, it is with the more reflective fare such as the arresting How Far To Go that Ellis really shines. An accomplished debut with some moments of real sparkle.