The Real Ellen McIlwaine
Ellen McIlwaine · 1975
42 min · 14 tracks
A vibrant blend of blues, rock, and folk with powerful vocals and intricate guitar work that defies genre boundaries.
Top tracks — play these first
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Higher Ground — This track stands out with its energetic rhythm and passionate vocal delivery, showcasing McIlwaine's ability to reinterpret a Stevie Wonder classic into a blues-infused anthem.
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Crawling Kingsnake — The rendition of this blues standard highlights McIlwaine's exceptional slide guitar skills combined with raw emotional intensity, making it a definitive moment on the album.
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Down So Low — This poignant ballad reveals McIlwaine's soulful vocal range and depth of feeling, encapsulating the emotional core of the album while allowing her storytelling to shine.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong songwriting and musicianship but lacks a cohesive flow throughout its length.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a high-energy track that features intricate guitar solos and powerful vocals, setting a vibrant tone.
- Several tracks incorporate shifts in tempo and dynamics, such as 'Up in Heaven Shouting/I'm So Glad', which transitions from a slow groove to an upbeat rhythm.
- The use of diverse instrumentation, including slide guitar and piano, adds layers to the sound across multiple tracks.
- The final track closes with a stripped-down arrangement, contrasting with the more complex earlier songs.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Moments worth listening for
Where the writing does something specific.
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Down So Low
The bridge shifts into an introspective reflection on personal struggle and longing amidst heartbreak.
This lyrical turn deepens the emotional impact by contrasting the previously upbeat tempo, allowing vulnerability to emerge starkly in the song.
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Higher Ground 3:39
- 2 Lazy Day 3:06
- 3 He the Richmond 5:12
- 4 Up in Heaven Shouting/I'm So Glad 1:52
- 5 Blueberry Hill 2:52
- 6 The Secret in This Ladies Heart 3:43
- 7 Virginia Creeper 2:58
- 8 30-Piece Band 2:05
- 9 Tennessee Ridgerunner 2:08
- 10 Crawling Kingsnake 2:08
- 11 Down So Low 3:57
- 12 Let's Go Down to the Ocean 2:28
- 13 Born Under a Bad Sign 3:21
- 14 Let Me Be 3:00
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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