Local Reviews: Charles Ellsworth

Local Music Reviews

Charles Ellsworth
The Shepherd Lane Sessions EP
Self-Released
Street: 12.01.10
Charles Ellsworth = early Tom Waits + The National + Bob Dylan
Charles Ellsworth is a storyteller. If his music doesn’t keep you listening (and it should), his vivid lyrics will stop your hand from skipping anything on this EP. Ellsworth’s vocals remind me of Matt Berninger, laced with the blues and 1960s country. “Last I Heard and Last I Checked” is an ode to what could have been—just a man and his guitar, soulfully pondering. Lyrics like “tell the Lord your plans if you wanna make him laugh, cuz when I told him mine I had him rolling on his back” were reason enough for me to finally figure out how to use the repeat function on my home stereo. You’re going to hum these songs, and your friends are going to ask you for a copy of whatever it is you’re singing. Lucky for them, Ellsworth is happy to share. Just find him on Facebook already.