new music critiques: Elle Belle

Production8
Lyrics7
Music8
Vocals9
Musicianship7
7.8

Contact: [email protected]

Web: ellebellemusic.com

Seeking: Booking
Style: Pop-Rock

Christopher Pappas is Elle Belle and he has the ideal vocal tone to make his songs of psychic distress (recorded during a trying time in his recent life) connect with the listener, despite elusive lyrics that can sometimes seem bewildering. That’s true of “Hey Dreamers,” a simple, quiet, downtempo song. And while it’s difficult to decipher its words, the band and female backup vocals are ear-pleasing. Pappas’ vocals shine on the brisk, mid-tempo “Gone Are The Days” with its Casio/Korg keyboard tones.  We like the heavy, funky bass of “Freaks and Sugar,” but are not in love with the “Freaks and sugar, honey yeah!” chorus hook. We also urge the artist to add more echo to his unadorned voice on this track.