by Tom Welsh

Manchester’s Ellysse Mason first showcased her expanding musical horizons on 2018’s Hunt Me Down EP – shaping her singer-songwriter stylings into a star-scraping, widescreen sound that attracted well-deserved acclaim and attention.

Now, new single, Something Good, takes this one step further and sees Mason parade pop sensibilities atop an effortlessly soaring backdrop, giving her straight-talking approach the perfect platform to pierce the public consciousness even more.

Every second works to keep the momentum – from the confessional verses delicately poised over gossamer guitar to the chorus’ high-reaching hooks, the song specialises in that kind of restrained euphoria associated with the more knowing leftfield of pop (think Lykke Li, Aurora, even All Saints at their best).

Stripped of Hunt Me Down’s Massive Attack-moodiness, Something Good instead exudes a hopeful air that seems simultaneously at odds with and in affirmation of the lyrics.  The unguarded acknowledgements of feeling the lows in life are delivered unflinchingly over the comparatively breezy, synth-speckled sounds, but there’s a defiant optimism in Mason’s honesty that ties it all together.

The refrain of ‘Honey, you got me all wrong,’ works as a warning to anyone who tries to pigeonhole Mason’s sound and vision, and the spirited protection of her creative freedom is further evidenced in the self-produced, lockdown-filmed video, which works to emphasise the complexities of a character she seems keen to show all sides to.

You never know quite what’s coming next with Mason, but on the back of Something Good, I look forward to finding out.

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