Review: A deeper Look Into Heartbreak and Chaos with Ellysse Mason
AS THE WORLD OUTSIDE UNRAVELS, ELLYSSE MASON TURNS INWARD, CRAFTING A DEEPLY PERSONAL AND INTROSPECTIVE EP - with Wish The World Was Ending, the emerging Manchester indie-pop star continues her momentum as a promising lyricist and genre-bending artist in this poignant yet thrilling project. Mason pulls the listener closer into her dazed world of destruction with captivating vocals and thunderous instrumentation from producer Ed Graves making for a compelling offering.
The five-track project opens up with the emotionally charged “Cry Baby”, an easy fan-favorite with hard-hitting confrontational lyrics like, “Well, your younger years, they did you dirty /But you wear it like a badge of exemption”, Mason looking back on a past love and experience that caused her all too much pain and has left her feeling remorseful and resentful. The powerful bass guitar in this song, and throughout this project, is harmonious with the singer’s lively and soaring vocals and sets the perfect foundation for “Getting You Down” which feels like a continuation of the theme of blame and painful discovery but encouraging a change and walking away. The transition between the two tracks is seamless and the cohesiveness in sound aids in tying the subject matter well, and presenting the two sides of a painful discovery.
“Where Did You Go” is the irresistible anthem that is the heart of this project and encompasses Mason’s feelings and songwriting in a delicate balance of agony, disappointment and anger. Listening to this Mason sounds as if she is lamenting and questioning the actions, affection and trust of her lover or herself as a result of being in an unhealthy relationship that had shady prospects in the first place. Mason’s chanting “where did you go” while meeting the pace and rhythm of her string and percussion arrangements only elevates the anger she feels before settling into a disheartened bridge that exposes her fear that her past lover has forgotten and regretted her and their relationship. This is truly reflective of the tumultuous feelings involved in mourning a relationship, going from a feeling of anger and simmering down to the ever-present feeling that consumes one the most: Heartbreak.
“Blowing Smoke,” featuring Callum Spencer, is a hauntingly melodic collaboration that enriches the atmosphere, presenting dual perspectives on a singular situation through what feels like a metaphor of bringing in two mirrors. This exploration seems to convey Mason's longing to understand her role in the relationship's demise, while also potentially addressing her own self-doubt and impulsiveness. The song masterfully oscillates between Mason’s narrative about herself and further who she was in a relationship and who she is afterward. It is admirable and refreshing to see self-reflection reflected in this way where it is both gentle and forgiving but harsh and confrontational.
The outro, “Wish The World Was Ending,” provides poignant closure, not as a declaration of transformation, but as a heartfelt plea for stillness. Mason's lyrics candidly express her desire to pause the world's momentum, allowing her to process her emotions without the pressure of navigating daily life with an open wound.
Wish The World Was Ending is an unapologetically vulnerable project full of passion and charged sonics. Both Mason’s vocals and Graves’ instrumentation are in sync and instead of just being a backdrop to one another, the various arrangements are highly agreeable and complementary of Mason’s pulsating vocal ability and songwriting and fully encompass the journey and heart of the EP.
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