Elli De Mon - Pagan Blues

by Julie Cruickshank

published: 3 / 7 / 2023

Label: Area Pirata
Format: CD

intro

Dark, dramatic new album from Italy’s one-woman-band Elli de Mon

Elli de Mon caused a stir in 2021 with her album of blues covers, ‘Countin’ the Blues’. She is back with a new set of songs, ‘Pagan Blues’ which explores her love of garage and punk, mixed with a heavy dose of psychedelia. Opening track ’The Fall’ builds from an eerie, swirling incantation to a climax of dirty, crunching guitar. ‘I Can See You’ is a frenzied slice of hyperactive guitar. ‘Desert Song’ has a droning, Eastern feel, while ‘Catfish Blues’ purrs and yowls around a menacing guitar heavy with feedback. De Mon hisses and whispers her way through the slide guitar-infused ‘Star’. ‘Ticking’ is a tense, grungy rock song. Title track ‘Pagan Blues’ has a chanting quality, interspersed with De Mon’s signature ankle tambourines, hypnotically counting time. ‘Siren’s Call’ employs a sitar; De Mon has spoken of her love for this instrument and plays it here with sinuous skill, her voice slightly discordant to enhance the track’s jangling, mysterious feel. Final track ‘Troubled’ counts blues time; a slow, menacing whorl, quivering guitar overlaying De Mon’s fractured vocals. “I am troubled” she sings, “Stay out of my way”. ‘Pagan Blues’ is a showcase for De Mon’s aptitude to play many instruments, sometimes two or three at once; on this album she uses sitar, dilruba, guitar, lapsteel guitar, organ, ankle tambourines and drums. Combined with a talent for singing, songwriting and performing, Elli de Mon has released an album which proves once again her status as one of Italy’s most unique and talented musicians.

Track Listing:-

1 The Fall
2 I Can See You
3 Desert Song
4 Catfish Blues
5 Star
6 Ticking
7 Pagan Blues
8 Sirens'Call
9 Troubled

Band Links:-

https://www.facebook.com/ellidemon.onegirlband

Play in YouTube:-

Have a Listen:-

interviews

Interview (2021)

Italian blues musician Elli de Mon speaks to Julie Cruickshank about her dazzling new album 'Countin' the Blues', upon which she covers early female blues artists,, as well as her punk and garage influences and playing the blues all over Europe.