First things first: Ellie Goulding has the voice of a freaking angel. I know there is a big chunk of people out there who love to hate on it for being "whispery" and "scratchy", I don't care. It is maybe one of the most beautiful singing voices I have ever heard. I simply and utterly love it.
Her finest work is definitely the stuff that puts those wonderful vocal chords of hers to work. "My Blood" and "Stay Awake" battle fiercely for my favorite of her tunes. Heck, I usually despise synthpop as a whole, but she can do it all day by all I care, because it still usually sounds amazing. She can even cover an awesome range of stuff! "Salt Skin" is sexy, "Explosions" is bittersweet, "Under the Sheets" is bittersweet AND sexy, there's just a lot to love.
No, the problem with Ellie Goulding is the fact that everyone, even to a degree herself, feel like they're out to sabotage most everything else. Because when the synth, the remixing and (God save me) the dubstep get turned up, it just feels insufferable when that voice isn't singing along. The girl can make whatever kinds of music she wants, but holy hell does it just feel like wasted potential a good chunk of the time. "Need Your Love" is a decent track when it doesn't sound like my NES is farting at me, the drop and blatant electronica ruin what feels like otherwise good, raw emotion in "Hanging On" (no comment on the rap verse, my cut of the song doesn't include it) and "Flashlight" has too many sharp notes for its own good.
I guess that sums up my feelings pretty well: while her voice is always great, someone like me is always gonna be on the train or not even buying a ticket with her songs. When it's bad, it feels like a waste of incredible talent. When it's great, it is some of the best music I've ever heard.
A last note: I seriously wish she'd make a rock album. Angel voice or no, if she was doing some Within Temptation or Nightwish kinda stuff, real intense, operatic atmosphere merged with heavy guitar riffs, we might just have the greatest thing ever.
Wonderful singer everyone seems determined to ruin
First things first: Ellie Goulding has the voice of a freaking angel. I know there is a big chunk of people out there who love to hate on it for being "whispery" and "scratchy", I don't care. It is maybe one of the most beautiful singing voices I have ever heard. I simply and utterly love it.
Her finest work is definitely the stuff that puts those wonderful vocal chords of hers to work. "My Blood" and "Stay Awake" battle fiercely for my favorite of her tunes. Heck, I usually despise synthpop as a whole, but she can do it all day by all I care, because it still usually sounds amazing. She can even cover an awesome range of stuff! "Salt Skin" is sexy, "Explosions" is bittersweet, "Under the Sheets" is bittersweet AND sexy, there's just a lot to love.
No, the problem with Ellie Goulding is the fact that everyone, even to a degree herself, feel like they're out to sabotage most everything else. Because when the synth, the remixing and (God save me) the dubstep get turned up, it just feels insufferable when that voice isn't singing along. The girl can make whatever kinds of music she wants, but holy hell does it just feel like wasted potential a good chunk of the time. "Need Your Love" is a decent track when it doesn't sound like my NES is farting at me, the drop and blatant electronica ruin what feels like otherwise good, raw emotion in "Hanging On" (no comment on the rap verse, my cut of the song doesn't include it) and "Flashlight" has too many sharp notes for its own good.
I guess that sums up my feelings pretty well: while her voice is always great, someone like me is always gonna be on the train or not even buying a ticket with her songs. When it's bad, it feels like a waste of incredible talent. When it's great, it is some of the best music I've ever heard.
A last note: I seriously wish she'd make a rock album. Angel voice or no, if she was doing some Within Temptation or Nightwish kinda stuff, real intense, operatic atmosphere merged with heavy guitar riffs, we might just have the greatest thing ever.