Spencer Elliott’s “SE3”

02/07/2022

A music review of Spencer Elliot’s “SE3” album.

A music review of Spencer Elliott’s “SE3” album.

More gorgeous instrumental music! Maybe we have all had enough talk talk talk lately, I know I have. So Spencer Elliott’s epic, velvety, earthy tracks, packed with opportunities for the listener to create their own narrative, offer the perfect kind of respite from everyones opinion on everything.

With a fascinating mixture of rock and progressive music, with a very definite nod to ancient balladeers and cinematic soundtracks, Spencer Elliott’s “SE3” creates an atmosphere of belonging.

Spencer Elliott spent a couple of decades as a vocalist in punk and progressive rock bands, before returning to his composing roots and finding an affinity for melodic purposeful melodies on his guitar. The result of all this soul searching is an album of music that creates waves of melody and expertly played conversation between bass, guitar and drums.

But, Spencer Elliott’s “SE3” is not jazz though. Not at all.

There’s a very specific structure to every track, each of them weaving landscapes of steel stringed music with warm, earthy, sometimes funky bass and drums. It’s a really great album. Peaceful, but not quiet background.

This is instrumental music that deserves to be turned up and paid attention to. However, there could easily have been lyrics and vocals. Every song could have had a singer and yet it feels all the more inventive just as it is. We don’t always need to be told what something means. Especially with music, we all find our own stories and our own world within it. Spencer Elliott simply makes it a little easier for us. Loved it!