Dove Ellis – Blizzard review: a generational voice emerges from the eye of the storm
Very little is known about the enigmatic Dove Ellis, but three things are clear. First, he’s an Irish singer-songwriter. Second, rising rock favourites Geese count themselves among his fans, inviting him to open their North American tour as a sole support act. Third — and most crucially — anyone who hears Dove Ellis sing quickly realises he possesses an extraordinary voice. With the arrival of his debut album Blizzard, Ellis more than lives up to the growing buzz built through steady gigging since 2022.
In contrast to the forceful, almost theatrical energy of his live shows, Blizzard feels eerily close and inward-looking. It’s intimate guitar music, but not in any cosy sense — more like bedroom pop if the bedroom were buried deep underground, cold and echoing. Every fissure in Ellis’ voice is laid bare. On tracks like “Little Left Hope”, his vocals multiply into a spectral choir that feels almost impossible to reproduce on stage. Elsewhere, he unleashes soul-exposing howls, particularly on “Tie Your Hair Up”, that are so arresting they leave little room to breathe. That same intimacy, however, slightly blunts moments like “Away You Stride”, a song that typically explodes when performed live.
Ellis’ voice also invites unavoidable comparisons to Jeff Buckley — an occupational hazard when your tone and phrasing resemble someone so mythic. Sounding that close to such a towering figure demands something distinctive to avoid slipping into imitation. Ellis finds that separation through his writing. His lyrics drift between sensual abstraction and sharp clarity, as on “Love Is”, where he declares: “Love is not mapped by quotations, and it’s not what it seems.” Though his age remains unknown, there’s a sense of lived-in wisdom to his words — the feeling of an old soul speaking through a younger body — and that maturity lifts his work far beyond mere homage.
Instrumentally, Blizzard also shows flashes of risk-taking. “Jaundice” dances like a jangling Irish jig, while tracks such as “Heaven Has No Wings” weave in earthy, reed-like textures that push Ellis closer to the art-rock sensibilities of contemporary experimental guitar bands. The strange sonic fragments that frame “To The Sandals” hint at a more adventurous streak than the album’s understated surface might initially suggest.
At its core, Blizzard is a collection of strong, often gripping guitar songs that capture the restless energy that’s earned Ellis such early acclaim. While he could still push further toward something more unmistakably personal, he already commands a once-in-a-generation voice, a curious ear and a distinct lyrical perspective. Whatever comes next, something compelling is clearly forming within the storm.
