I've really become a fan of a lot of the dark singer songwriter stuff lately. I'm not just talking Nick Cave and that sort of goodness, I'm looking at things like the magic of Duncan Evans or Emma Ruth Rundle. Henry Derek Elis is a sort of musical genius, a guy who brings a unique set of sounds to the table and who seems capable of constantly pushing his music to a whole new level. The deep emotional power of his new record The Devil Is My Friend is not to be fucked with and hints at so much more to come from the project.
This is a record you can get lost in and that makes it all the more powerful. Henry Derek Elis fuses the potent sounds of his country background with a sense of somber almost doomy vibes. His top notch guitar playing suggests a different level of musicianship, but it's counterbalanced with an almost King Dude-esque minimalism. The touches of violin that pad out the sounds help to conjure up a sense of aural richness that we won't soon forget. Meanwhile, the mystical auras punched through with the lyrics reminds us time and time again just what exactly makes Henry Derek Elis such a unique musician.
I love the grit that is personified throughout this record. I love the way that The Devil Is My Friend finds beauty in the simple things, the stripped down bliss and countrified darkness. The demonic moods that have come to define The Devil Is My Friend are fascinating and otherworldly. Whiskey soaked and smelling of cigars, Henry Derek Elis has wandered into my life from a dusty road. You can see the air settling around him, but there will be no denying his aura of greatness, an aura that will not soon be forgotten.
Find them on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/henryderekelis/
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