MORE THAN A HERO
“…Have a listen to her most recent album (2013′s More Than a Hero) and you’ll get a good sense as to why she’s getting so much work. She’s firmly rooted in the folk tradition, with a soft whisper of a voice that will lull you into her world. The album sucks you right in, and before you know it, you’ve lost an afternoon listening…” Read more…
~ The Revue, Kevin Mcgowan.
“Toronto indie-folk songstress Karyn Ellis has long received kudos from peers and critics while flying somewhat under the radar. That deserves to change with this seriously accomplished crowd-funded fourth album, More Than A Hero. She has a dynamic voice, equally capable…” Read more…
~ New Canadian Music, Kerry Doole.
“I was familiar with Karyn Ellis’ recent release, More Than A Hero but it’s always so much better to watch an artist bring their recorded songs to life on-stage. Soft, delicate touches mixed with deft harmonies and bare bones instrumentation, her strong songs each stand on their own feet…” Read more…
~ Roots Music Canada, Eric Thom.
EVEN THOUGH THE SKY WAS FALLING
“more fully realized arrangements…bring out wider strands of the intimacy and wistful humour hiding between the lines of her slyly clever lyrics. Despite the often lightly delivered lines that are tossed off with a gently feathery touch, there is no mistaking the sadness beneath.” ~ Rod Nicholson, Scene Magazine.
“[One of] Five must-see songstresses, NXNE Highlights: this delicate, sweetly-melodic Toronto songstress needs to be heard.” (Also on the top-pick list: Zola Jesus, Fanshaw, Maylee Todd, Hannah Georges) ~ Brad Wheeler, The Globe & Mail.
“Canadian singer-songwriter Karyn Ellis is an innovative and eclectic talent…[she] has the uncanny ability of hitting the jackpot quite regularly with her songs… her work is of another level.” ~ Maurice Hope, Americana-uk (UK).
““a voice that has an ethereal quality, sounding both innocent and weathered at the same time….Gems like “Not Looking for Love” show off a unique sound that is all her own.” ~ Sarah Petz, Stylus Magazine.
“Even Though the Sky Was Falling is more joyous and upbeat than her previous albums of heartbreak and loss. But Ellis retains a porcelain-like quality that remains poignant for its delicacy.” ~ Robert Reid, Nightlife (Arts Entertainment Magazine for Guelph Mercury / Kitchener Record.
“To put it plain and simple, Karyn Ellis is a pop singer-songwriter that others should aspire to be like….setting the bar for female pop singer-songwriters.” ~ Gray Owl Point.
“…des chansons plus douces qu’amères avec une belle présence vocale et un grain de voix intéressant.” ~ Marie Hélène Poitras, Le Voir.
“…a magical way with song…Leonard Cohen has no copyright on the word hallelujah.” ~ Brad Wheeler, The Globe & Mail, Essential Track of the Day.
“D’ailleurs, il ne faut pas trop se fier aux allures naïves de Karyn Ellis. Derrière cette voix de jeune fille, se trouve une artiste beaucoup plus solide et perspicace qu’on ne peut l’imaginer de prime abord.” ~ Alain Brunet, La Presse.
“4****…. A classically trained musician who set out to sing opera, this bright Ontario girl got sidetracked into pop music and weird day jobs, including singing telegrams for a living. Even Though the Sky Was Falling, her sophomore CD, proves this is a woman with stories.” ~ Marke Andrews, Windsor Star / Calgary Herald / Canwest.
“Shades of country and folk, arrangements ranging from orchestral girth to slim strumming, grace the lovely new LP by this TO songstress. 7.5” ~ Lorraine Carpenter, Montreal Mirror.
“Singer-songwriter Karyn Ellis finds inspiration in some bizarre spots – creepy CSI episodes, for example. But that doesn’t make the inventively arranged songs on her latest album, Even Though the Sky Was Falling, any less charming.” ~ Bernard, Perusse, What’s On Your I-POD?, The Montreal Gazette.
“4.5***** listening to [her album], I feel like I’m hearing a longtime friend. The sentiments, the lyrics, the vocals, the instrumentation feel familiar and friendly without being derivative and recycled. Her melodies are instantly memorable and burrow themselves into your brain like memories that are halfway between bitter and sweet.” ~ RateYourMusic.com.
“as if writing a brilliant song were child’s play…it is challenging to identify a single standout on an album that is so remarkably clear and consistent. Karyn Ellis is a singer we simply must embrace in Europe.” ~ Martin Overheul, altcountryforum.nl (Netherlands).
“4,5*****…. Flawless songs, an entirely fantastic voice, musicians that put themselves completely at service of the songs, and on top of that, with Don Kerr a great producer on board – we cannot think of what else one could wish for. A fantastic disc!” ~ Benny Metten, CtrlAltCountry.be (Belgium).
“The sky might be falling, but Karyn’s ten celestial tunes on “Even Though The Sky Was Falling”, her second full-length release, are sure to send this songstress’s star on a rapid rise.” ~ Allison Brown, !earshot Magazine.
Even Though The Sky Was Falling appears on CHARTattack Staff Top 10 Album Lists For 2009
Even Though The Sky Was Falling appears on Allison Brown’s Top 10 Album Lists for 2009 (Penguin Eggs)
“Karyn Ellis’s Even Though the Sky Was Falling grabbed my heartstrings immediately and hasn’t let go.” ~ Rozalind McPhail, NxEW.ca.
“Smart and Beautiful. ***** (5 stars) Karyn brings her beautiful sound to life with playful lyrics that spark playful memories. I loved it from the first listen.” ~ iTunes Customer Review
“[Even Though The Sky Was Falling] is ornate and beautiful and just wow.”~ Tyler B., Ann Arbor, USA.
“[Karyn Ellis is] sweet and ferocious all at once. [H]er album [is] a celebration of the mundane…the stuff we’re all too hard-bitten and realistic to talk about in front of our friends. The stuff the Romantic poets wrote about. I’m in for the long run with Ellis.”~ Eric Malette, London Ontario”
FEATURE ARTICLES
Ottawa Citizen (reprinted from the Windsor Star)
Nightlife (Arts Entertainment Magazine for Guelph Mercury / Kitchener Record)0
HEARTS FALL
“You can hear Welch, Waits, Amos, Brickell, Peyroux, the Cowboy Junkies and the Be Good Tanyas all rolled up in that one tiny body, that one mournful voice. Superior late night stuff! ” ~ Benny Metten, CtrlAltCountry.be (Belgium)
“You simply have to delight in Karyn Ellis’ fragile and sometimes oddly girlish voice. Her high tones and jazz-like melodies are reminiscent of Joni Mitchell, but minimal instrumentation and unexpected musical turns in otherwise straightforward songs are just as connected to the contemporary sound of free-style folk.”~ Maurice Dielmans — Kindamusik.net (Netherlands)
“Karyn Ellis is twangy and cool and unpredictable, delivering a CD that is difficult to classify and impossible to resist. I started with bluesy, front-porch country, then expanded the definition to yee-haw-inspiring bluegrass, and stretched the description a bit more to include some shuffling jazz that would not be out of place in a whiskey-stocked Old West Saloon. Then she had to throw in mystic, cold, poetic goth vibes (Angels in Snow) and operatic performance art (Already Home).
Yes, Ellis makes the reviewers job a difficult one. But I could never get mad at the girl with the sensually childlike voice and that playfully spirited nature that flows through her twangy songs. Shes got me wrapped around her little finger.” ~ Jennifer Layton – Indie-Music.com (USA)
“[Karyn’s] tunes are unbelievably charming because they are organic and simple – but layered with elements of the sweetest pop conventions ever – conjuring up immediate reminders of what we love about musicians like Tanya Donelly, Hope Sandoval, CocoRosie and Martha Wainwright. Except Karyn Ellis does it her own, clever, beautiful, introspective and quirky way. The songs are both hilarious and lonely. Carefree and nostalgic.” ~ Dan MacDonald – Upfront Magazine (Canada)
More reviews:
Even Though The Sky Was Falling
Hearts Fall
Bird
