Review By Darren McIntyre Images By Scott Anderson
Our Man In The Field (aka Alex Ellis) is an indie-folk, Americana artist who brings soulful country vibes with his new album Gold On The Horizon, it has been earning rave reviews from both sides of the Atlantic. BBC 6 Music’s Mark Radcliffe & BBC Scotland’s Ricky Ross made it their album of the week and it has people waxing lyrical about this Saltburn On Sea native, he hits the road in anticipation with his full band travelling up and down the country bringing us his infectious brand of Blues / Americana and tonight he stops off in Glasgow at The Glad Cafe, please grab yourself a cold one as I get ready to take us on a soulful melodic stroll that will certainly wet our appetites as we welcome this charismatic musician as he steps onto the stage and kicks off with
The Road Interlude – The opening is an interlude to the new track that Alex has released and lets the musicians introduce themselves as they play into tonight’s show.
Feel Good – Smooth sweet dobro tones are littered throughout this toe-tapping blues track as the tempo eases us into this mesmerising night of Americana. Bluesy soulful vocals take your breathe away as the tone echoes all through the venue tonight, the musicianship is a real blast as there is a cool balance from the groovy rhythm section that runs right into the delicious funk-laden bassline that wraps itself around this fantastic Americana / Folk arrangement. The whole composition is like walking into your favourite blues club and feeling the warmth take you on the journey with this killer ensemble, the place erupts in a hail of applause as the musicians thank us for coming tonight and let them entertain us, and we shuffle straight into the fantastic
Last Dance – This track is like walking into your favourite hoe – and grabbing your partner waltzing her around the dancefloor and letting her know how much you love her. Vocals are silky smooth with a real bluesy vibe that is perfectly partnered with effortless backing vocals that let this track glide, the dobro wanders in and opens this track up as the rhythm section comes in with snare brush tones to let us feel the laid-back tone that is running freely through this fantastic piece of music. Electric cello strings bring a real smoothness to the track as they instantly transport you somewhere else, the bassline wraps itself around this enchanting piece as we stop ourselves for a second to witness what has just happened tonight, we are getting into this Southern lad as he shares stories, anecdotes, tales of being a lad and how it shaped him as a person, we drop into
How Long – The rhythm section makes itself known to us as it brings this fantastic track to our attention as a silky smooth bassline wraps itself around these soulful lyrics. Dobro and lap steel tones are just incredible as the whole arrangement wanders freely and takes us on a journey and tells us a fantastic story about this musician, the addition of backing vocals makes this track sing as they add depth, emotion and a real deep feel to this tale of belonging. The band are just bubbling to the surface as they gel together and let us feel the musicality that is flowing effortlessly through this incredible piece of music, the cool thing about this guy is that he has a story attached to every track and that is just wonderful, we stop for a second while the band gets lubricated and Alex tells us another ditty about a mate of his from Glasgow that is a true story, but that is for later, we slip into the delicious
Easy Going Smile – Spellbinding cello notes ooze from the stage as the cool acoustic strumming chords take us by surprise and let this track wrap itself around us. Vocals bring real depth to the stage as Alex drops sweet lyrics that grab your attention and give us a glimpse of this incredible musician, this is a ballad track that is just a colossal arrangement that brings sheer magnetism from all concerned. Steel guitar licks are just rising up and giving us a real buzz as the band brings something special to this fantastic night of Blues / Americana / Folk inspired composition the steel chords just take this track to another dimension as the place feels the electricity pouring from the stage, we roll into
Glad To See You – Lap steel notes linger through the intro as snare brushes let the rhythm section take the track forward as soulful blues-style vocals come to the surface. A killer bassline flows through this amazing piece of music and this gives this a real soulful feel, cello tones are just incredible and bring this ballad to our attention. This track is all about the incredible NHS & its staff who work tirelessly to protect us come what may as they feel the strain that the Pandemic brought to us, we are tapping our toes and really letting this incredible bunch of musicians tell their own story through the power of music, we clap loudly and await the next dose of Americana / Folk / Blues & it comes in the form of
Pockets – Acoustic strumming chords wander freely through the intro as the haunting backing vocals let this track rise to greet us. Snare rolls letting the tempo tell its own story as the bass-laden track weaves through the incredible lyrics that are laid bare before us, cello tones and lap steel grab a hold of you as this phenomenal track gathers pace and just allow us to drift off and capture the essence of this incredible bunch of musicians. The night is motoring along and it is full of stories from way back when and how they shaped this talented musician/actor/songwriter and all-round good egg, we flow into –
Smoke In The Wind – Gravelly soulful vocals ease into the track as mesmerising acoustic chords let this track breathe. Lap steel tones make this track sing before the haunting dark cello tones come through and wrap themselves around this real thought-provoking piece that is just something special, we are watching something special unfold right here in Glasgow as the band bring their astounding sound to us fine folk tonight. The place is feeling the love as Alex rounds on his fellow musicians as they deliver a killer tone that has us all clapping, singing and just really enjoying the music, we come to the end of the first set and Alex wanders into the crowd to chat, take photos and of course sell merch to boost the coffers of this exciting unit. As the second half begins we ready ourselves for an onslaught of blues as Alex introduces the next ditty in the form of
Thin – I Used To Be Bulletproof – Sweet soulful vocals pour from the stage as the delicious bass drops epic notes that wrap themselves around this haunting track. Cello & lap steel tones let the incredible vocals breathe as this toe-tapping number lets us lose ourselves in a melodic rhythm section that knows how to get the crowd going, the vocals are silky smooth with a tinge of blues that deliver a killer tone as this fine bunch of musicians get us going. The place is oozing depth and swagger as the band just gets us in the mood as we feel every note oozing from the stage tonight, we are getting the forward notes of the next track as Alex tells us about his mate Gavin from Glasgow who was a real character who really had a tough time but got on well with OMITF as they bonded over music, football and beer,
Stick Around – Grab your partner by the hand and lead her to the dancefloor as this mellow blues track melts the bassline all over this enchanting song. Lap steel notes mixed with dobro tinges roll together with the fantastic vocals that lead perfectly into mesmerising cello tones that just take your breath away. The rhythm section brings in snare brush grooves with cymbal taps that allow this fantastic track to unfold, the place is feeling the love as the band kicks it up a notch as we feel the tone flow effortlessly through this incredible song, we are allowing ourselves to be drawn into this colossal world of Blues / Americana that is wrapping itself all over this cool little venue tonight, we catch our breathe as we stroll into
The Road-Lap steel licks combine with sweet acoustic strums as the cool cello wanders into the track and leaves its mark. Vocals are just incredible as they tell their own story we get a mellow rhythm groove that keeps this soulful blues track on the move, people you have missed an enchanting show from this awesome band as they bring their infectious groove to us tonight. The softness of the gravelly vocals mixed with cool basslines that drive this blues-themed show onwards is just incredible, we want to hear more and more from this incredible band as they take us with them on their journey, I believe Alex and the gang have said that so far we have been the best night of the tour so far( believe that if you like) before we roll into the phenomenal
Come Back To Me – Accapella vocals ooze from the stage as the band brings this sweet track to our attention as this arrangement gets our attention. Lap steel tones are running freely with the soulful vocals as this track just grabs our attention and gives us a real sense that this band don’t want to leave the stage tonight, we feel the bassline drop epic funk grooves that give this track real kick as snare drum punches come through as the cymbal rolls create a warm fuzzy feeling that leaves us wanting more, the place is buzzing as the band thanks us for coming out and and making them feel welcome, so much so that they want to come back again and I am trying to help them do that, we are at the business end of tonight’s show as we roll into
Silver Linings – Deep mellow basslines drop in and let the sweet dobro licks take control of this toe-tapping arrangement as the cool melodic backing vocals take us skyward. Snare punches let the groove come to life as this mesmerising track grabs us and lets us float off into the distance and let ourselves go, we are getting into the groove with this cool piece as the soulful vocals tell their own story that just gives this venue a real warm feeling as the crowd gets to grips with this epic band. We tap our toes and want the night to continue for as long as possible as the place just stands still and feels the warmth coming from the stage tonight, up next is the haunting beauty that is
Long Forgotten – Lap steel notes get this mesmerising piece on the move as the cello, bass & rhythm section combine to let this track take us on a journey. The lyrics bring us together as the snare punches run effortlessly through this well-written piece of music, we feel the groove come at us as this fantastic track just wraps itself around this blues-inspired composition that just instantly takes your breath away. We are watching this dude do his thing and bring his fabulous vocals pouring through this fantastic piece, the band are rippling through the track with ease as they deliver a well-rounded piece that just wants us to feel the emotion coming from this killer band tonight, there are a couple of tracks left as we drop into –
Go Easy – Acoustic strumming chords wander freely through the intro as deep cool basslines wrap around this sweet toe-tapping track. The rhythm section comes at us with snare drum punches to get us in the mood, cello tones are dark, delicious and moody and allow us to take in the ambience of tonight’s awesome show. The lap steel picks are letting this incredible track take our breathe away as the smooth throaty vocals guide us down the road, we are being served a real 4-course extravaganza that begins with soulful blues and stretches us with the Americana vibe that reaches its climax with some Indie / Folk tunes thrown in for good measure, the night comes to an end with the spellbinding
L’etranger – We reach the pinnacle of tonight’s show with the blues / americana vibe that brings us cool bass kicks that let the funk groove come to life. Acoustic strumming chords let the arrangement tell its own story as the killer vocals take this incredible composition skywards, the whole arrangement is holding our attention as we lose ourselves in the groove. This is a nice way to finish off an incredible night of soulful classy tracks that took us one way then the next as the band brought their A-Game tonight and showed us why they need to be back in Glasgow sometime soon, the band leaves the stage to rapturous applause and rather than go backstage to wander back out they stand stage left and walk back on and hit us with the fabulous
Don’t Play With Magic – A real mellow groove brings lap steel tones pouring through the track as the musicians dig deep and let their craft shine through. The powering vocals take this track to another level as the cello flows freely and gives this track a real bluesy, country feel. Bass is dropping delicious, dark tones allowing the rhythm section to bring in cymbal taps and snare brushes by the truckload. Vocals are magical as they bring a mellow tone that wraps itself around this epic arrangement as the band brings tonight’s proceedings to a close the crowd gets up on their feet and applauds wildly as they leave the stage and thank us for our support and say they will be back real soon.
Our Man In The Field –
Alex – Vocals / Guitar / Acoustic
Henry – Pedal Steel / Dobro
Eva – Bass / Backing Vocals
Maddie – Cello / Backing Vocals
Annie – Drums
Setlist –
The Road Interlude
Feel Good
Last Dance
How Long
Easy Going Smile
Glad To See You
Pockets
Smoke In The Wind
Thin – I Used To Be Bulletproof
Stick Around
The Road
Come Back To Me
Silver Linings
Long Forgotten
Go Easy
L’Etranger
Don’t Play With Magic
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