Almost a decade ago, a case of appendicitis sent Alex Ellis aka Our Man In The Field to hospital, where doctors found a tumour that was alarmingly similar to the one that had killed his father a year short of his 50th birthday. A struggling actor at the time, Ellis made it out the other side with renewed purpose. His sporadic forays into songwriting became more consistent, and a new occupation began to take hold when he moved to London.
A friend sent a few of his tunes to Tom Robinson at BBC 6 Music, who debuted them on air. That led to Ellis’ first live shows and his eventual 2020 debut album, ‘The Company Of Strangers’. Three years later, he couldn’t be further from London on the brand new ‘Gold On The Horizon’, which was recorded in Portland, Oregon and produced by Tucker Martine (The National, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Rosanne Cash).
`Feel Good` is the album`s opening track and was written about a deception that was inflicted upon the artist by an agent that promised the world. It`s a reflective mid-tempo musing with a haunting pedal steel with some complementing harmonies and a horn tinged time out just after half way through. There`s a much more stripped back melancholic texture to `Come Back To Me` which has strummed guitar and vocals in the main and relates to a relationship that was probably never meant to be but…..
`L’Etranger` translates to foreigner or stranger and the song is a tale of an outsider seemingly looking back on their life that has been one of almost self-isolation and now seems to be of overwhelming loneliness. The singer`s North Eastern accent shines through and gives it a real depth of heartache. A bass line leads us into `Silver Linings` before pedal steel, keys and a steady drumbeat join and fill out this pensive nigh on philosophical rumination.
`Great White Hope` reflects on a relationship that both parties have realised has run its course. It begins pretty bare and melancholic before filling out musically. A string arrangement adds a touch of sadness at times throughout. We have a further contemplative piece with `Go Easy` which becomes fairly dreamy as it evolves.
I felt `Glad To See You` had a more shuffling country / americana vibe with pedal steel and a brushed drumskin guiding us along this song of reacquaintance. The last minute is taken over with a tuba like resonance and background crowd noise. A song written about the break-up of some friends of the singers follows with `Last Dance` which seems to be built around their last evening together. A fairly soulful meditative piece that reminded me of some of Van Morrison`s reflective numbers.
Alex has shared that `How Long` laments the lack of decorum or respect in the media, politics and in public life. A wonderfully captivating thoughtful submission. `The Road Interlude` is a brief aural soundscape prior to the final track `Long Forgotten` which is a fairly intense and powerful slow burn to end on.
‘Gold On The Horizon’ is a thoughtful and reflective album and highlights Alex Ellis`s songwriting strength and skills which emanate from his precise, astute, and perceptive life observations. Alex was aided and abetted by Henry Senior (pedal steel/dobro), Greg Bishop (drums/harmonies), Raul Biancardi (synth), and Luke Ydstie (bass).
If you enjoy artists such as David Grey and Martyn Joseph, you`ll love Our Man In the Field.
Rating 8.5 /10
