Dennis Ellsworth couldn’t have chosen a better image to represent his new album, Common Senseless. Tied to the imagery of flowers, Ellsworth largely exudes corresponding feelings of positivity and warmth, continuously pushing that message throughout the album.
Ellsworth’s style has always felt natural and effortless. It only makes sense that the birth of this record was just as organic. Just months before his previous album, “Things Change”, was released, Ellsworth and Adam Gallant started monthly recording sessions at The Hill Sound in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. These sessions naturally evolved into the final collection of songs on the album.
Over the course of the summer, Ellsworth has been feeding us sneak peeks of the finished product. The track, “Sunflowers“, was the first single he released. He definitely succeeded in choosing the most encompassing song to represent the first taste of the album. The moody track deals with the enormous reality of change, using many experiences and travels from Ellsworth’s life as a backdrop. It’s a bittersweet track. Change is a heavy subject for anyone to deal with, but Ellsworth expresses the importance of holding onto what you cherish.
The sounds on this album feel cinematic in scope. Ellsworth’s voice is as pleasant and understated as usual, but some of the songs feel larger than life. It’s like they’re contained within a world of their own. Ellsworth explains that the album tunes into the earthly and spiritual beauty of our world, so that’s definitely an intentional effect. “Spaceland” and “Better Luck Next Time,” the two songs at the midpoint of the album, fit that mould nicely. If “Spaceland” is the badass climax of a story then “Better Luck Next Time” is a somber epilogue.
There’s plenty of lighthearted material on this album to balance the more introspective tracks. A focus on the difference between the sun and the rain is a visual cue Ellsworth calls back to multiple times. It’s also a good metaphor for a talent he wields with careful precision – walking the line between cheerful and sad. “Step Into the Light” is a track that’s pure, fun sunshine, while “Don’t Worry About It” is self-explanatory. They’re some of the more upbeat tracks where Ellsworth gets to fully boast his belief of making the best of life and letting the good things guide you away from whatever’s troubling you.
This trend even bleeds into some of the more gloomy tracks. No matter how dark things get, Ellsworth strives to be a source of light and optimism. The line, “Don’t wanna be the rain going down the drain, I wanna be the sun,” in “I Have No Idea” perfectly sums up that philosophy. Even though Ellsworth grapples with some heavy stuff at times, he’s able to point out the silver lining every time.