Review by Lauren Steen

Recently I had the distinct pleasure of discovering the unique soul/pop music of Ellen Once Again.  This remarkable lady has found a way to successfully fuse soul, pop, and a little folk with incredibly positive songwriting and lyrics to form her own distinctive sound on her new EP ‘Spreading The Love’.  And that voice.  Ellen commands and controls her lilting soul-filled voice to perfection.  At one moment she sings haunting lower registers, and the next she soars on the higher notes with a delicate joyful resonance.  Those vocals added to her passionate, heartfelt, and optimistic songwriting form her innovative soul/pop sound.

In today’s world you know there is more than enough to get you down.  What I love about Ellen Once Again’s songs is that they don’t simply distract you from your troubles they lift you up and out of them.  This lady’s songwriting is so carefree, positive and lively that it gives you hope for a world and point of view more like hers.  Her music can set the mood on one song and make you feel like you are in a coffeehouse and then on the next song make you feel like you’re in a fantasy.  She combines her lyrics, elegant vocals and a vast array of instrumentals to create her very own quirky and contemporary sound in pop & soul music with a bit of folk thrown in.

My absolute favorite song on Ellen’s EP is ‘Spreading The Love (Latte Mix)’.  Now I do love the other version of this song.  But I simply love this stripped-down acoustic version, because it truly lets Ellen’s voice shine.  This song has a great folk/pop coffeehouse feel with a lone acoustic guitar backing her.  Plus you have to love its message of spreading the love and making the world a better place.  Ellen’s pure, clear a cappella voice is so exquisite and vivacious.  She is reminiscent of Corrine Bailey Rae and Colbie Caillat, but her vocal range and her heartwarming lyrics form her distinctly unique sound that sets her apart.

Another incredible song from this EP is ‘Lost Soul’.  This is a soul song of a true and nearly all-consuming love, and the depth of the lyrics gives you chills.  On this song, Ellen delivers soulful haunting vocals that come straight from the depths of her heart and soul. When she makes the vocals soar into the high notes, she has the most gorgeous vibrato.  I also love her overlapped vocals that provide this song’s harmonies.  The sheer range and control of her voice, the amazing storytelling and superb piano make this song a true stand out.

My final favorite song is definitely ‘Chasing Rainbows’.  The effervescent positive lyrics are all about fantasy, dreams, chasing your dreams and never giving up on them.  Ellen has impressive control of her light affecting vocals, and she can make her voice arc like the rainbows she speaks of.  Plus this lady can hold a note so steady and strong like none other.  All this added to a fanciful fusion of instruments, from piano to accordion to bells, makes this a whimsical pop song with a folk/soul infusion.  I get the same feeling from this song as I do from a beautiful day or a fantastic fairytale.

Ellen Once Again (aka Ellen Hinton) is a contemporary, passionate and highly skilled songwriter and musician.  She has melded soul, pop, and a touch of folk with a seasoned and moving voice to form her very own exclusive and remarkable sound.  Her lyrics are so packed with positivity, hope and optimism that it is infectious.  Trust me, you can’t help but smile and sing along and forget all your troubles.  And that is an extremely rare talent these days.  This world can use a lot more of Ellen Once Again and her positive progressive music.

Now you need to hear and find out more about Ellen Once Again.  Get online and head over to her webpage at www.ellenonceagain.com.  You can also find her as Ellen once Again on Facebook, Spotify, ReverbNation, and MySpace.  You can also catch her music in rotation on www.WRSP936.com.  No matter which way you discover her, trust me she is way more than worth it.  You do not want to miss this lady’s optimistic message and whole-hearted lilting vocals. J

Check out Ellen Once Again online at:

http://www.facebook.com/EllenOnceAgain

http://www.myspace.com/ellenonceagain

http://www.spotify.com as Ellen Once Again

 

Hear her in rotation on:

http://www.WRSP936.com

source: http://everythingmusicmagazine.com/ellen-once-again-spreading-the-love-ep-review/