ELLA THOMPSON'S SOUL ALBUM WAS CUT STRAIGHT TO TAPE IN JUST FOUR DAYS
If you love a rich, warm soul album to play on a slow Sunday morning, Melbourne singer Ella Thompson has just the thing.
Her new record, Triumph & Sadness, is a return to the jazz and soul she adored as a child, and she is about to take it on tour.
A soul album made the old-fashioned way
Thompson recorded the album over just four days at an all-analogue studio in Castlemaine, in country Victoria.
As she told the ABC on November 8, there were no computers in the building.
The band tracks were cut straight to tape, which gives the songs a live, intimate feel.
According to The Line of Best Fit, 15 tracks were captured and then trimmed down to ten.
Horns and vocals were added in later sessions in Northcote.
The album came out on October 16 through the label Mr Bongo.
The sound and the songs
The ABC describes the record as warm and cinematic, with slinky guitars, keys, brass, flutes and harp.
Thompson wrote it with Liam McGorry, and the studio band includes members of Surprise Chef and Karate Boogaloo.
Songs include Promise To Keep, Parable, Make You Believe, Dandelion and Lover's Game (In Love Again).
My Weakness was inspired by a Caravaggio painting, which tells you something about the thoughtful, arty spirit behind the project.
The big themes are attention, resilience and the balance between the good times and the hard ones.
Thompson quotes the philosopher Simone Weil, who wrote that attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity.
She has said she has always been drawn to bittersweet music, and the title says it all.
Who is Ella Thompson?
Many music fans will know her voice even if they do not know her name.
She has been part of the Melbourne music scene for years, fronting the electronic duo GL and the pop group Dorsal Fins.
She has also sung with Paul Kelly, The Bamboos and Mark Ronson.
Her earlier solo albums were Domino in 2023 and Ripple On The Wing in 2024.
She recently headlined her first international shows, in London and Paris, after an artist residency at the Cité internationale des arts.
The mentor who shaped her soul album
Growing up, Thompson listened to Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Curtis Mayfield.
Her greatest idol, though, was Australian soul and blues singer Renée Geyer.
Geyer became her mentor and took her on her first tour when Thompson was just 16.
One piece of advice stayed with her: dig a little deeper rather than taking the obvious jewels from the top of the treasure chest.
Thompson says that lesson about looking beyond the obvious has shaped the way she approaches soul music.
It is a lovely reminder of how much a generous mentor can change the course of a young woman's life.
Where to see her live
The tour starts on November 13 at The Vanguard in Sydney.
From there it heads to Melbourne, Adelaide and Healesville, and she will also play the Meredith Music Festival in December.
Check local venue listings for exact dates and tickets, as smaller rooms like these can sell out quickly.
Why it is worth a listen
In a world of quick playlists and heavily polished pop, there is something comforting about music made by real people playing together in one room.
Triumph & Sadness is the kind of album to put on while you cook dinner, pour a glass of something nice or simply sit and listen.
If you love classic soul, or you have a friend who does, it would also make a thoughtful Christmas present.
Put it on, turn it up and let yourself slow down for a while.
