Seattle-based artist Ellie Grace navigates a landscape of loss on her sophomore album, Nothing Is Easy. From the existential folk-rock brooding of “Hope Resides” to the gritty energy of “Crooked Laugh,” the record blends soulful Americana with a seasoned backing band to explore the complexities of collective grief.
“This is a collection of songs written over a year of an unusual amount of loss and grief,” Ellie says. “I hope these songs connect with listeners going through anything similar. I feel like grief is the one thing that binds us all and I put all my feelings, heart and soul into this music.”
Twangy guitars and steady acoustic strums open the album as “Hope Resides” emerges. “Can’t seem to let go, no matter how hard I try,” Ellie’s calming vocal introspection lets out, admitting to “live in fantasy instead” of reality. The twinkling guitar jangles and soul-searching lyricism culminates in an affecting “is it over for me?” soaring, ruminating both with existential brooding and a drive to make the most of present day. A flurry of emotive strings and heavier-rocking guitars lead a wholly satiating outro, with the track as a whole being exemplary of Ellie Grace’s knack for climactic, gripping songwriting.
Further aspirations of truly experiencing life, though all its ups and downs, compel on “Crooked Laugh.” “With heavy shoes and aching feet, the world just bends without a care,” her vocals move with debonair rock presence, fondly reminiscent of Courtney Barnett’s fervent vocal tone. “I wanna fall into the dirt, just to remember how it hurts,” the vocals move amidst twanging guitar delights, then traversing to a final minute with delectably bursting guitar tones. “Songbirds” continues the album’s strong start, its snowy city lyrical descriptions and balmy guitar jangles beckoning to “hear the sound of the songbirds taking flight” with optimistic brightness. The organ-bolstered “when you look in her eyes, do you think of mine?” sequence consumes in both its melodic warmth and vulnerable lyrical bite.
The album’s title track also enamors, exuding a bruised-and-battered mental state within a no-frills acoustic entry point; the sound is complemented by delicate strings as world-weary sentiments engage with poetic prowess. “All I asked was you stand by my side,” an impassioned vocal sequence shines especially, into a caressingly melodic final minute. “Blackwater” is another folk-forward standout, its chilly depictions of destiny and heart-cautioning outrunning moving into a beautiful organ infusion, the “down by Blackwater” scene-setting enthralling throughout.
“Turn Back Time” excels as well with its musings on mortality — “I died yesterday, it’s too bad I still had things to say” — coexisting with twangy guitar adornments and sturdy strums. “If I could turn back time,” the vocals aspire during the magnetic chorus, melding well within the album’s themes of living through tumult, and in this case using the past as a source for comfort. Album finale “Far Away” ensues, closing the album with a lushly trickling folk dreaminess. Nothing Is Easy is a fantastic second full-length from Ellie Grace, whose songwriting ability extends well beyond her 16 years.
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