SINGLE REVIEW: ELLA SPENCER - HOWLIN' WOLF
It's been a while since #TEAMw21 have heard from Ella Spencer, who arrived with two excellent singles in "Warning Signs" and "Scotty's Tyres" and wowed in a support slot with Forty Elephant Gang, before promptly seeming to disappear. Rarely do we get quite so excited by an artist who has released so little material however it is the quality of it that had found us wanting to hear more. Her time away has been time well spent if the opening single "Howlin' Wolf" from her new EP "Pandora's Box" is anything to go by.
Those singles from last year, were more acoustic guitar driven, "Howlin' Wolf" is a different beast entirely with Ella fronting a full on band. Initially there is little hint of the transformation to come, it is very much an intricate acoustic guitar intro, nimbly picked, before Ella opens up on her vocals.
These opening verses trade in classic lupine activity, the first focuses on traditional Hollywood werewolf imagery, while the latter alludes to the story of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf". Ella greatly extends the closing words on the second and fourth lines to great effect. It all ties in with Ella's hypothesis that you can't be open and honest with others if you continue to lie to yourself.
"The feeling I had was like dreaming
You miss a step and start to fall
Every night I wake up howling
Back against the wall, against the wall"
No one listens to a liar
When they finally tell the truth
Like a dog trapped in the fire
Howling out to you, howling out to you"
It is on the repetition of "Howling out to you" that the band start to appear, firstly a bass guitar, then a menacing electric guitar growl, followed by the percussion booming into action.
"Am I still howling wolf? Am I still howling wolf?
One thing that I know for sure,
You've heard me howling wolf before
Am I still howling wolf"
The ease and assurance with which Ella has made the transition to fronting a rocking combo is amazing,
"I'm trying hard to let go
Of what used to keep me warm
Pried it from my fingers
It was swallowed by the storm, by the storm but
No-one listens to a liar
When they finally tell the truth
Hear me baby I'm on fire
Howling out to you, howling out to you"
There's a short psychedelic phase, lasting only a few seconds however when Ella returns it's as if she is transformed, firing out the lyrics with barely an intake of breath.
"One thing that I know for sure, you’ve heard me howlin’ wolf before
You’ve heard me howlin’ wolf before, but now the wolf is at my door
One thing that I know for sure, you’ve heard me howl your name before
Mississippi silver might be the cure, I don’t need the fangs or the killing floor"
The "Killing Floor" neatly references a song of the same name by bluesman Howlin' Wolf himself later borrowed by Led Zeppelin, which sent us on an entertaining dark diversion into Howlin' himself, rediscovering such tunes as "Howlin' At My Baby" that had sat on our itunes for some years untroubled.
The song ends suddenly with Ella declaring "Now the wolf is at my door" to a shuddering guitar chord and a shimmering tambourine.
It all represents a most excellent return, if Ella's "Pandora's Box" is now open #TEAMw21 cannot wait to see what else will emerge. The Portland connection has paid dividends with contributions from Steve Drizos, Jerry Joseph and Jesse Emerson, the track bristles with energy.
Pre Save Link https://lnk.to/HowlinWolf
London Single Launch 30th October - Betsy Trotwood https://wegottickets.com/f/26719/
