William Lee Ellis, God's Tattoos - 43m 26s

Tracks & Durations

1. Snakes in My Garden	3:06
2. God's Tattoos	5:03
3. When Leadbelly Walked the River Like Christ	3:12
4. Search My Heart	4:59
5. Four Horses	2:26
6. Perfect Ones Who Break	4:25
7. The Call	3:30
8. Cold and Weary	3:56
9. Here Am I, Lord Send Me	3:54
10. Jesus Stole My Heart	1:52
11. The Missing Moon and Stars	1:36
12. Dust Will Write My Name	5:20

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Review

Memphis-based singer-songwriter Ellis's fifth album abounds with compelling stories and imaginative sounds, often woven around spiritual themes. In the title track, Ellis--who is bluegrass pioneer Bill Monroe's godson--sings about acquiring life's scars over a rhumba arranged for guitar, accordion, and washboard. But the surprises begin with "When Leadbelly Walked the River like Christ," a textural solo recital with Ellis blending his Gary Davis-inspired picking and the violin-like sound of an e-bow on his acoustic guitar. And "The Missing Moon and Stars," a instrumental duet for guitar and dolceola (a kind of piano-zither hybrid), has a stately melody and ringing tones that evoke classical guitar compositions. Ellis's fusions sound utterly organic, but he's never too far from his blues bedrock. The drumbeat of the rocking spiritual "Search My Heart" borrows the rhythm of North Mississippi fife and drum bands, and "Dust Will Write My Name" is a gentle acoustic blues about finding one's Heavenly reward. --Ted DrozdowskiWilliam Lee Ellis sings of the Apocalypse, devils on his shoulder, and his search for spiritual meaning, combining a love for slide guitar, gospel blues, and roots rock with genuine reverence for shamans and sages ranging from Leadbelly and Mississippi John Hurt to Joseph Campbell and Carl Jung. Via twelve adventurously eclectic, often introspective tracks, Ellis roams a metaphysical no-man's-land, where blues, gospel, acoustic pop, and even a rhumba beat underscore his quest.

Produced by Jim Dickinson (Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones), God's Tattoos unwinds like an aural dreamscape that blurs the line between sacred and secular music. Ellis eloquently states his claim as a master musician and skilled lyricist who employs time-honored music forms to explore the common concerns of modern man - as exemplified by the title, which refers to psychic and emotional scars or "tattoos" we all wear inside. A unique listen that fits somewhere between Ry Cooder's Into the Purple Valley and Buddy Miller's Universal United House of Prayer, God's Tattoos provides inspiration and sustenance for roots music fans of all persuasions.

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