My mate always says to me when we see some version of a band knocking around with a singer wiggling his arse, “he should have written the songs.”
Robert Ellis Orrall did exactly that.
And then some.
From Taylor Swift and The Beaches to Reba McEntire and Rascal Flatts, he’s penned hits for them all. That sort of CV doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because somewhere along the line you learn exactly how a song is meant to land, where the hook goes, and how to make people feel something before they’ve even realised it’s happening.
Indeed, the lead song here is a reworked version of something he did with Swift. Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m exceptionally good at avoiding things I couldn’t care less about, so I’ve never heard the original. This version, though, is a perfectly pleasant piano ballad.
But “Brand New Me” is better. Much better. It’s a middle finger to an ex, a proper slice of pop rock, and the sort of song that struts into the room knowing full well it looks good.
“I’m Coming With You” is as jangly as pop gets, all bright edges and sublime harmonies, while “Carol Ann” has a proper ’70s ELO feel about it. And any song that namechecks a Mott The Hoople tune is absolutely fine with me.
Given the people he’s written for, “I Disappear” is probably more what I expected, but that’s no bad thing. It’s got that easy, assured touch, and a guitar line that recalls “74-75” by The Connells, which is never going to hurt its chances round here.
You’d expect the fella to know his way around a chorus, but even allowing for that, “When Will You Love Me Again” is so infectious they probably recorded it in face masks.
“Underground” hides its sadness beneath a gorgeous summer feel, and the lush strings of “Where Do We Go From Here” only reinforce the idea that writing hits perhaps just comes naturally to him.
“I’m Only Me (When I’m With You)” feels like it belongs on a musical, all big emotion and bigger gestures, and then “End Title Song” does exactly what the title suggests, giving the whole thing a lovely, knowing curtain call to finish on.
In no way is Robert Ellis Orrall a sideman. He’s been making records for well over 40 years and scored his first top 10 single back in 1983. But on this, his first album in five years, we’re not dealing with some bloke content to stand in the wings and collect songwriting royalties. No, this is Orrall stepping back into the light and reminding everyone that if you can write the songs, sometimes you’ve earned the right to sing them too.
And on this evidence, his pop rock wonderland is well worth wandering through.
RATING 7/10
