Rising Canadian dream-pop star ascends on gazy new track
We’ve been big fans of Hamilton, Ontario musician Linnea Siggelkow – a.k.a. Ellis – for a while now. Back in 2018 she released The Fuzz, one of the best EPs in recent years, and so far this year she’s continued that creative hot streak with aplomb. The video for her latest track “Fall Apart” made our monthly Highlight Reel column/playlist, and she’s gearing up to release her debut full-length Born Again in April. Now she’s shared another new song and video from that forthcoming LP, the soaring and shoegazey ballad “Embarrassing.”
A galvanizing swirl of lo-fi guitar chords and pensive piano notes forms the reverb-soaked foundation for Ellis’ melancholic crooning. “Embarrassing” hits incredibly poignant sonic heights, featuring snowballing feedback wrapped around gorgeously languid melodies and haunting, bittersweet lyricism. The track ebbs and flows between ground-swelling crescendos and confessional verses in which Ellis comes to terms with her own feelings of shame and guilt.
“I’ve come to realize that shame can be both good and bad, and the importance of recognizing the difference,” she shared in a statement. “I’ve felt it often when I shouldn’t have, when I’ve been made to feel guilty for things that have happened outside of my control, or for feeling ashamed of my body or my femininity or my feelings. But I think it’s important to also recognize that some things shouldn’t be justified, sometimes I act in wrong ways and hurt myself or others around me. I am learning to take responsibility for my actions and to hold myself accountable for the things that I should be embarrassed by, to say sorry, and to be better.”
The noir-ish video for “Embarrassing” was directed by Max Taueschel, and contains beautifully backlit shots and silhouettes of Ellis as feathers and other ambient visuals swirl around her in dream-like fashion. Born Again arrives on 4/3 via Fat Possum. You can pre-order the album HERE, and watch the video for “Embarrassing” below.
