{"id":11940,"date":"2020-10-15T15:19:18","date_gmt":"2020-10-15T20:19:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/?p=11940"},"modified":"2026-05-06T15:13:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-06T20:13:53","slug":"ep-review-motherwell-leith-ross","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/2020\/10\/15\/ep-review-motherwell-leith-ross\/","title":{"rendered":"EP Review :: Motherwell :: Leith Ross"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Review by Ryan Haughey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopeful or disheartening \u2013 which way does Leith Ross sway? Their debut EP Motherwell <\/em>is simultaneously melancholy and faithful. Motherwell<\/em>\u2019s faith in the goodness of life is refreshing \u2013 Ross\u2019 tender-hearted lyricism is organic and magnetic. This live-off-the-floor recorded EP dives earnestly into memories and deep, clever thoughts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The lead single and EP opener \u201cEveryone I\u2019ve Never Met\u201d playfully exposes Ross\u2019 shut-in-ism. A warm piano smoothly connects thoughtful changes led by wood-like toned guitar strumming. As Ross\u2019 sings honey-thick harmonies over lyrics that long to know the strangers they fear, a pickin\u2019 electric guitar quietly plays call and response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ross\u2019 voice is enough to impress; at times you can hear them smile through the lyrics on \u201cGrown Up,\u201d only to draw listeners further forward in their seat with soft vibrato. On this second track, Ross\u2019 poetic perspective on age shifts through the stages of childhood into adulthood. If you listen closely, shimmering strings float alongside the artist\u2019s vocal lines, reflecting and reinforcing introspective melodies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short but sweet, \u201cNo More Words\u201d looks around for more ways to express eternal love. Ross\u2019 words and voice are beyond enough for listeners to feel the passion expressed. Tactful and patient, Ross takes their time to fully flesh out the colours of emotion laid out in front of them, composing and curating paintings and photographs that capture moments in their life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrayer\u201d is a belief in the good in life and nature, freedom of spirit to fear and find comfort in the unknown depths of human faith \u2013 religious, spiritual, or otherwise. A guitar stomps from bass notes to treble as a cello drones beneath tickled lead guitar strings through to the end of the song as Ross chants \u201cAmen, amen, amen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reciting painful memories, emotional and physical, Ross shares the darkest of feelings and what draws them back into life \u2013 all this over a jaunty chord progression on \u201cFor Now.\u201d Stripped to the minimalist bare instrumentation of vocals, harmonies, acoustic guitar, and bass, raw emotion passes through like the colour spectrum through the atmosphere to hit listeners right in the eyeballs, maybe even the tear ducts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another single from the EP, \u201cTommy\u201d is an ode to a dearly loved family member. The music video is a character study in the form of a compilation of old family videos. Respect and admiration shine through Ross\u2019 voice for their grandfather enough for any listener to share in those feelings of love for Tommy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Revelations of what it means to be family and individual are Ross\u2019 focus on \u201cUnderstood.\u201d More memorable moments where lyrics and music cross over when Ross wishes they could \u201cstop\u201d.\u00a0Lyrically rich, this song aches for understanding and compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The last song of the EP is \u201cComing Back.\u201d With an air of finality, Ross is nostalgic for a lighter time where life was more precious. The track reprises over a recording of Ross\u2019 grandfather one last time as the artist quietly howls like a ghost until the last lyric: \u201cI used to wake to the morning and feel like the world was created for me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leith Ross\u2019 storytelling is fearless yet gentle. Childhood, mental health, and love of life. Lacking nothing in poeticism, Ross performs these songs with an ache in their heart and a string attached to listeners hearts. Now I miss everyone I\u2019ve never met too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/leithross.bandcamp.com\/<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Review by Ryan Haughey Hopeful or disheartening \u2013 which way does Leith Ross sway? Their debut EP Motherwell is simultaneously melancholy and faithful. Motherwell\u2019s faith in the goodness of life is refreshing \u2013 Ross\u2019 tender-hearted lyricism is organic and magnetic. This live-off-the-floor recorded EP dives earnestly into memories and deep, clever thoughts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11940"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11942,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11940\/revisions\/11942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ckuw.ca\/stylus\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}