Ellis Evason Discloses ‘SINS OF THE FATHER’

“There’s so many fascinating elements of ‘SINS OF THE FATHER’ to unpack, with Ellis Evason putting his heart, soul, skill and experiences into this project.”

This year British Hip-Hop artist Ellis Evason released his second album ‘SINS OF THE FATHER’, and it has been fantastic to see him producing a high-quality creative project once again. Evason taps into soulful sounds as he puts political, religious and personal themes on the table.

‘OUTBURST’, a collaboration with indie artist t.e.d, plays like poetry. Vocals and piano govern the soundscape, as we take in the familiarity of lines like ‘you are more than a Tesco till‘ and the candour of lines like ‘you are more than your oppressors‘. The word ‘more’ becomes the motif here, and each lyric has something new to dissect. Next track ‘KING’ has this blossoming confidence, seeming to be that of a response to the motivational statements of ‘OUTBURST’. An assertive vocal style meets saxophonic delight – the instrumentation scented with elements of Jay Z’s ‘The Black Album’.

The beat-driven ‘LAUNDRY DAY’ has something quite addictive about it. Melodically, it has that runway rhythm and fast-paced workout feel present. It’s also notable how the vocals adapt to changes in tone lyrically within the fast pace of the melody, as we once again hear that confident vocal delivery.

On the chronological story of ‘RUN’, the retro sound effects add a unique flair to the production. Evason’ uses repetition to his advantage, seen in the warmth of the cyclical instrumental loops. In contrast to this warmth, there’s a coldness interpreted by the narrator and put into words – ‘Run away from this now, like you did when he was 16, tell him success is really nothing but a pipe dream‘. ‘KINGDOM INTERLUDE’ has an intro evoking intrigue- how does the initial galactic sound morph so coolly into a piano-based setting? Lyrically, Ellis references his music; ‘I switch styles so much, my fellas scream ambidextrous‘. The descending melody plays a large part in the contemplative nature of the song, the instrumental dissipating until we are left with pure vocals.

‘CORE’, the final single before the release of ‘SINS OF THE FATHER’, consists of impassioned vocals that challenges the government and their lack of concern for their people. Amongst the adrenaline-inducing melody and advanced production, Ellis Evason takes a clear stance in his music and this is so refreshing because not enough people are doing the same.

Title track ‘SINS OF THE FATHER’ exhibits jazz-infused patterns in its sound. Each segment is climactic, reaching optimal instrumental richness each time until a piano and vocal duet marks a shift in the melody. A raw sense of anger takes over as the vocals raise pitch and drums aid their frustration. Looking back lyrically, it was all building up to this moment. ‘MODERN MAN’ is a brilliant way to bring an album to a close. I thought the last line ‘This is just some shit I wrote when I couldn’t get to sleep’ sounded familiar. And it was indeed, also being the last line of opening track ‘OUTBURST’. There are moments of acapella, moments of Plone-esque production, moments of melancholic background effects, but the emotion here isn’t momentary; it’s ubiquitous.

You can listen to SINS OF THE FATHER here: