The relationship between a musician and the demands of society have always ebbed and flowed, a mass of appreciation that is given freely, but then one which is tempered, almost costing the artist the substantial amount of their soul; it is when the outside interference comes along that the musician may feel that they owe more than is necessary and that is the sadness which waylays, perhaps even destroys many a marvellous mind.
The only belief that is needed is that which reinforces the soul, too many are lauded and then told what to do, the well-meaning platitude becomes embroiled in the suits and the tangle of webs surrounding the thought that ensnares, that of selling out. Some though are made of sterner stuff, the music reflecting their desire to put two fingers up to the world of pinstripes and polished shoes, and from that point they can become almost unstoppable, their voice becoming even more irresistible, and their soul raging in the full glare of inescapable love.
Liverpool’s Eleanor Nelly is one such individual, a voice that haunts, a guitar that aches to hold the listener closer than a tight hug from a playful bear. Other plans may have been now laid, the foundations of her future perhaps for now heading in a different direction but as proved to an attentive audience inside The Casa on Hope Street as the final hours of May made their own fond farewells, it is the memory, the hope, the expectation, that this particular musician will not only continue to dig deep into other’s souls, but lay the signposts for others to follow, a leader in such a young heart, a voice to die for in an old soul.
As part of an evening’s entertainment of poetry and song at the venue, Eleanor Nelly not only wowed the faithful, she brought something valuable, radiant, to those who had not had the pleasure of seeing her perform in Liverpool before. Across songs such as Me And You, The Best Is Yet To Come, Diary, Eventually, Paper Aeroplanes, Bloodlines and the exceptional Front Row, Eleanor Nelly’s prowess and exceptional talent shone through completely.
New plans may be in motion but there is an inescapable fact, she has touched the Liverpool scene with the power of an electric shock to the system, whilst all the time being as graceful as a butterfly able to tame a whirlwind, a woman who has graced the last decade and in who we, as listeners, should be thankful we were there to see it happen.
Ian D. Hall