Thursday, June 25, 2020

“Better” by EllaHarp – A Song Feature


     EllaHarp deserves to be appointment “Ambassador of Harp,” somewhat akin to the anointment of Aretha Franklin and James Brown as the Queen and Godfather of Soul. She isn’t royalty, at least not yet, but she is the leading representative of her musical instrument within the Indie Universe.

     EllaHarp is the “camel capitalized” performance name of Ella Dawn Jenkins. She is a harpist, vocalist and songwriter based in the San Francisco Bay Area (Half Moon Bay). The release of “Better” is the third single from her upcoming sophomore album “Screaming Into the Void.” The album is currently scheduled for release in Fall 2020.

      As explained in the press notes, “Better” is about separated friendships, and letting go of narrow-minded people from your life. The lyrics, which are included at the bottom of this post, are intriguing because they are a string of questions. We challenged ourselves to recall another song of only questions. We did not meet the challenge. The closest is Bob Dylan’s “Blowing in the Wind,” but each verse ends with a statement as to where the answers can be found – blowing in the wind.

      Ingeniously, the inquiring lyrics of “Better” are accompanied by a harp that portrays purpose. The melody carries a sense of forward movement, ensuring that the listener is aware that the song is not about confusion or disorientation. Is this a series of rhetorical questions? The vocals follow the lead of the harp’s purposefulness, while taking the lead in allure. The solo, un-reverberated voice of EllaHarp is only heard in the final line. Clearly, it has the strength to stand alone throughout "Better." But voice processing and overdubbing enhance the splendor of the vocals.

     In April 2016, we dedicated a post to the increased use of the harp in Indie Music. For a couple of years after, the influence of the harp seemed to be in decline. EllaHarp changed the trajectory when she released her debut album in 2018. Merely coincidentally, the album title was a question – “Who Asked You Back.” The first three songs from the new album are clear indications that the trajectory is still upward, but with an increased slope.

     “Better” by EllaHarp 




Lyrics of “Better” by EllaHarp
Did you build that wall to keep me away?
Did you built it far and build it wide to hide yourself inside all day?
And is it better, better that way?

Have you taken down the paintings and words?
Did you bury all the brightness and shut out the all the music and birds?
And is it better, better unheard?
Does it sound better, better?

Did you build that wall to keep me away?
Does it keep out all the colors but your black and brown and blue and gray?
And is it better, better this way?
Do you feel better, better aaa..?

And is it better, better this way?
Do you feel better, better aaa..?
And is it better, better this way?

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