Eleanor Tallie – No Turning Back
Cyrus Rhodes
Posted On June 17, 2016
It’s been a brilliant, vivid journey that’s brought Eleanor Tallie from her homeland in Israel across the world to Memphis, Tennessee. This is a young singer infused with an unquestionable love of blues and R&B music, particularly its soul and funk genre cousins. Tallie is never such a narrowly talented performer that any of the six songs on her debut are just ONE thing. Instead, the songs on No Turning Back freely take from all facets of the above mentioned form and dispatch them with the fluency and style of a seasoned artist. Eleanor Tallie never sounds tentative or unsure where she’s going. Listeners will feel like they are in good hands, from the outset, with this wondrously talented young performer.
To call “Hell or Heaven” a promising start would be an understatement. The performance here serves notice that No Turning Back wants to entertain listeners, but has its sights set on so much more. The glittering production and single-minded resolve propelling this song to its inevitable conclusion, essentially, remakes the genre for 21st century fans. It might look to the past in some respects, but there’s nothing retro about how it sounds. “I Tried” further reinforces this point by directly copping from arrangement habits of much older performers, doubling the guitar, bass and keyboard lines as an example, but yet presents these older elements with the powerful youthful energy. “Sunlight” pulls back on the reins some despite the second appearance of guest vocalist Lil Riah and the end result is one of No Turning Back’s most faithful and detailed invocations of classic soul. There’s never anything imitative about this, however – Tallie’s influences are never readily identifiable. Instead, like all great artists, Tallie has processed her influences and subsumed them into her overall creative vision. Some listeners might, however, find themselves craving for a few more pronounced “peaks” in the composition – it’s a little too content to settle.
One cannot say the same thing about the EP’s fourth song, “My Present”. Tallie’s sarcasm comes through here and, despite the essentially positive point of view that this song and the entire release maintains, it gives some teeth to this effort that many listeners will enjoy. “Gotta Be Happy” returns to the soul posture heard on “Sunlight”, but this is a far more invigorating turn. Tallie’s collaborators, particularly the rhythm section, deserve heaps of praise for the complex, yet accessible, backing they give her and this is probably their finest hour as an unit. The EP’s last selection, “A Real Man”, contains some hints of rock and roll attitude, but it’s far closer to a straight, bucket of blood blues number than any other song on No Turning Back.
The EP’s title can serve as a career mission statement. There’s such style and talent here that it’s impossible to envision her looking back anytime soon. Eleanor Tallie has a boundless musical future ahead of her and the work here offers some evidence that it scratches the surface of her immense talents.
ALLMUSIC: http://www.allmusic.com/album/no-turning-back-mw0002916185
URL: http://eleanortallie.jimdo.com/
9 out of 10 stars.
Cyrus Rhodes
