There were cries of dissatisfaction when Manchester-based band Wu Lyf split in 2012 after just one excellent album.
Lead singer Ellery Roberts announced very publicly that the indie outift were no more, posting a YouTube video in the form of a letter to the other members.
In it, he stated, "I'm going to keep on doing what I do," and now he has delivered on that promise. LUH (Lost Under Heaven) features Roberts teaming up with Ebony Hoorn, and the results are as promising as Wu Lyf once were. "Unites," a love song rooted in dualism, takes Roberts' primitive roar and plants it into a new surrounding.
While Wu Lyf specialized in large, slow songs smothered by organs, LUH appears to have peeled back a layer. A brilliantly memorable guitar hook that's present for much of the song, a simplistic drum beat, and some simple delay effects are all that separates Roberts from silence. It works -- bringing him closer only intensifies the listener's fascination.
Roberts has one of those unique voices that can convince you he feels everything he sings. It's some what comparable to a street busker playing the violin; you know that neither the violinist nor Roberts are trained in their instrument, and yet you totally believe every story they tell you. With the lyrics, "For I am the opposite of you, as one we balance two," the image is as clear and powerful as the sound of the song, a perfectly weighted refrain.
So far with LUH, Ellery Roberts has proved that some things never change -- but with the help of others, it can seem so very different.
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