Wandering & Sandcastles - Elijah Russ (Double Album Review)
Elijah Russ has been involved in the West Michigan music community for many years. As a musician, he can often be seen sporting stellar guitar skills with all sorts of groups as a sideman for acts like Gunnar & The Grizzly Boys, Melophobix, The BlueWater Kings Band, The Legal Immigrants, and even touring with Harper & The Midwest Kind. As a soul-rock songwriter and bandleader, he can be heard playing around the region as a soloist and for special events with a full or expanded lineup of Grand Rapids musicians. I personally have been involved in his music as a recording artist with his 2019 single “Mind Your Business” as well as recording a solo on one of his new releases. His passion for the community and music radiates through his playing, and he’s a welcome addition to any lineup. Since his last live album release, The Elijah Russ Collective (Live), he has been hard at work crafting two very distinct albums: Wandering and Sandcastles, both of which release on April 24th with a release event at Wealthy Theatre (which I’m also involved in). One album is enough of an undertaking, but spending time funding, planning, scheduling rehearsals and studio time, commissioning artists, designing and ordering merch, and advertising and executing two albums worth of material is a huge accomplishment. The result feels like two cataloged spectrums of Elijah Russ’ artistry, arranging for different sized bands, styles, and a blending of instrumental and vocal highlights throughout each tune. It speaks to his work ethic and the support of such a vibrant cast of musicians in the West Michigan scene, and while I had to already learn these songs for the event, it was great to dive in and enjoy the tunes outside of studying them for the gig!
Starting with Wandering, this album sports a lo-fi, bedroom studio vibe that is a relaxed way to enjoy Elijah’s playing and songwriting. Each track captures a moment in his travels, delighting in experimenting with songwriting and styles while also programming his own beats and playing some keys. In a recent interview with Local Spins, he mentioned he doesn’t “like to be classified into one genre. I know that that’s advantageous in the industry. But that’s just not who I am. If somebody finds a lo-fi song, and then goes and looks through the rest of my catalog and finds a cinematic rock song, that could be a cool moment.” The album starts with “Evergreen,” a relaxed vibe that sinks your mood right into the coziest parts of your bedroom. It’s relaxed while still highlighting his improvisational skills. “Kung Fu” features lead playing from guest guitarist Jay Roberts and creates a darker, hypnotic loop splashed with voice recordings and a melody overtop highlighted with bells. “St. Louis” sets the table with ambient nature sounds and more directed audio recordings speaking on codependency, grief, and addiction, offering a moment of self-reflection as the track plays. “Swoon” lightens things up with the soundtrack that emulates the feeling of being swept up in love, pairing tongue-and-cheek comedic bits against a vintage recording of a man speaking on the subject. To close the record, a deeply atmospheric rendition of the classic “Colors of the Wind” can be heard against lush recordings of flowing water and chirping birds, creating a beautiful moment of calm to wrap up on.
Sandcastles is an album so large in scope that it is being realized live with a 16-piece band for its debut. It highlights Elijah’s confidence as a bandleader and arranger, wrangling a cast of characters to realize his vision. As a performer in the album release show, I found it so refreshing to see somebody thinking of the little details of a performance: reference tracks, scheduled rehearsals and individual sectionals, and even written charts with plenty of arranging notes to help keep everyone on the same page. That same level of care is showcased on the recording, with a full rock band stacked with strings, horns, and additional layers of vocals, keyboards, and guitars creating a record that feels dynamic and exciting to experience. “It Won’t Be Easy” grooves hard to kick off the record, featuring a stellar guitar solo among a driving rhythm section. “What You Want Me to Be” softens things a little with lush strings while building to such a powerful high point, complete with backing vocals that cut through with rock and roll flare. “Brilliant Mind” continues to ramp up the energy with a latin-rock jam that riffs hard while also features additional melodic layers from the keyboards and synths. Add in another guitar solo from Elijah and you have a great song for an awesome live experience. The funk is front-and-center in “Florida Funk,” unifying the band around a series of bluesy, heavy riffs that is guaranteed to get audiences moving while everyone’s stank-face comes into view at the breakdown riff that builds to the ending. “Requiem” is an instrumental track that shifts between featured improvisations and cinematic textures, and it cements Elijah’s stellar playing throughout the record. “I Would” adds a splash of classic soul on the front end and an explosive jam at the back end, with featured solos from Elijah utilizing different tones and approaches alongside my keyboard solo. “The Other Side” starts off with an intimate intro with piano and vocals, starting the earworm that permeates the entire tune and creates some standout chorus hooks that are colored by strings and backing vocals. To close this record, listeners are treated to a lively gospel rock version of “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” complete with a choir of singers and a burst of positive energy to send listeners out into the world.
Musicians tell a story with their art, whether it’s a single track or a wide variety of work. Each song captures a moment in time and a moment of an artist’s life, reflecting the people, places, moods, and inspirations that drive their desire to create. With Wandering and Sandcastles, audiences are treated to a succinct summary of Elijah’s life over the past two years of the pandemic, whether it’s emphasizing his relationships and personal trials or celebrating the people he’s met in his travels or the desire to create soulful rock music that leaves listeners feeling motivated and full of positive energy. Listening to both albums back-to-back also gives a fun variety to Elijah’s artistic output, and it reinforces his desire to not be bound to any one genre or style and to delight in exploration. Fans of rock anthems, solid musicianship, and of an artist actively working to better those around him that he works with and entertains will enjoy these releases, and they are mere previews to the polished live show experiences that he crafts. Go check out the record and see him live sometime!
Support Elijah Russ!
Website: https://www.elijahruss.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elijahrussmusic/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elijahruss/
Bandcamp (Listen to both releases here!): https://elijahruss.bandcamp.com/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiXi4PKF8Jt3tuCoPzf1A3A
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3BTe748w8xXc56Ed257D9W?si=LkZ5Jt29Qbe-v6mLU9ze0g
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/elijah-russ/1473334651
Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.com/artists/B07X7FC2M4/elijah-russ?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_DAsY4e0GDO78BVrluopgwiLSC
Includes a live version of “Brilliant Mind”
Behind-the-scenes info about the crowdfunding campaign about these releases
Interview I had with Elijah on my podcast, Mitten Backstage!