Review: Karyn Ellis – Even Though the Sky Was Falling

With a voice that has an ethereal quality, sounding both innocent and weathered at the same time, Karyn Ellis follows the tradition of the Canadian folk songbird started by Kate and Anna McGarrigle. The third album from Ellis displays a range of genres, from country on “Bitter Grasses,” a send-off to an old flame, to the orchestral overtones of “Beauty.” Even Though the Sky was Falling sounds concisely constructed to show off a range of influences. Considering it has been almost five years since her last album Hearts Fall, Ellis obviously took her time to do so. While the album at times sounds a little too much like a handful of other female folk-pop musicians that tend to pop onto sappy Grey’s Anatomy soundtracks, there is a certain lack of polish to Ellis’s music that gives her an edge above them.  Gems like “Not Looking for Love” show off a unique sound that is all her own. Unlike her peers, it doesn’t sound like she cares if she fits into any sort of package that might be easier to sell and although at times a bit awkward, Even Though the Sky Was Falling is better than a soundtrack to a corny medical drama any day. (Mathilde’s Home Productions, www.karynellis.com) Sarah Petz