Ella Jinks - “This Fall”
Photo by Garry Jones
Walthamstow, East London-based singer-songwriter Ella Jinks returns to the blog with “This Fall,” a passionate, piano-driven ballad co-written with Katie Melua.
When it comes to the genre of singer-songwriter, we typically go for a more folksy, guitar-forward arrangement, but it is immediately apparent that there is something special occurring in “This Fall” at the press of the play button. The soft, melancholic notes from the piano gloriously set the stage for a sublimely intimate listening experience, as well as the perfect foundation for Jinks’ vocal to appear.
Just as we’ve come to expect, Jinks possesses a voice that has been carefully crafted by the universe to command the attention of all who hear. Her delivery is breathy and delicate, and not at all difficult to believe that the only thing between her heart and our ears is a microphone. Listeners should not be at all surprised if they catch a glimpse of Laura Marling or Joni Mitchell in this superb, emotionally-charged performance.
“This Fall” remains suspended in this sparsely recorded, intimate realm of existence for most of its duration. The soft swells of strings and some deep notes from the bass emerge along the way to add depth and width to the sonic space, and careful listeners shall marvel at the subtle layering of vocals over the track’s final third.
Jinks adds that “This Fall” is “about understanding the importance of embracing pain in difficult situations rather than numbing ourselves entirely. Through the writing process, I realised that when we suppress sadness, we also suppress our capacity for joy and so it’s actually better to fully experience our emotions as they come, rather than burying them only for them to resurface later.”