James Ellis Ford: The Hum – review – ALBUM OF THE WEEK!

James Ellis Ford: The Hum

Warp Records

LP|CD|DL

Released 12th May 2023

Pre-order from Sister Ray

As one half of electronic house duo, Simian Mobile Disco, James Ellis Ford was responsible for some of the most thrilling dancefloor bangers of the past twenty years. However, his solo debut, The Hum, follows a different path. It’s a record that will surprise and delight in equal measure. Gordon Rutherford reviews for Louder Than War.

Everybody loves surprises, right? Assuming so, you are going to love The Hum, the debut solo album by James Ellis Ford. Your first reaction may be one of intrigue. You may initially labour under the misapprehension that you are unfamiliar with Ford’s work. But I would wager that you’ve heard, and loved, some of the projects that he has been involved in over the last couple of decades.

Working behind the scenes, this composer, multi-instrumentalist, producer and songwriter has contributed to the output of some of music’s biggest names, including Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz, Depeche Mode and Kylie Minogue. However, those who do know the name, know it because of Ford’s role as one half of the pioneering electronic house duo, Simian Mobile Disco. Therein lies the first surprise. The Hum bears little resemblance to the most widely known Simian Mobile Disco songs. The duo’s most thrilling tunes, such as I Believe and Hustler, were absolute dancefloor fillers. Bangers. By contrast, this album is categorically lo-fi. If one is the soundtrack to the night’s zenith, the other is the comedown.

The Hum introduces itself with two instrumentals. Whilst they differ slightly, both leave the same lingering taste in the mouth. It is far from unpleasant. Album opener Tape Loop #7 is a spectral, highly textural ambient piece. I’m reliably informed that the wraithlike cloak which envelopes the piece was created by having two tape machines feed back into one another. Hence the title. Seamlessly, Tape Loop #7 segues into Pillow Village, a track that is structured around a memorable five note motif that lives in your head long after the needle has left the vinyl. It is an idyllic composition; one which bears more than a passing resemblance to Bowie’s finest instrumental, Warszawa.

One imagines that both of these opening tracks were the starting point for this project. They feel like a natural bridge between Ford’s work with Simian Mobile Disco and a solo project. That hypothesis is reinforced by the knowledge that, in 2017, Ford constructed his own studio at home, specifically to allow him to sonically experiment at leisure. However, just when we think it’s safe to assume that we know how The Hum will evolve, we are hit with the second surprise.

As you would expect from such a virtuosic multi-instrumentalist, Ford does everything on The Hum. In fact, I’d be surprised if he didn’t personally press the actual vinyl. From keyboards to flute, tenor sax to cello via electronics, he does it all. Additionally, there’s vibraphone and he even learned to play bass clarinet specifically for this album. It goes without saying that he chucks in all of the conventional ones too – bass, guitar and drums. None of that phased Ford, but something else did.

Of The Hum’s ten tracks, half are instrumentals. Already, we have covered a brace. Great as they are, in context, recording them was surely a straightforward enough task for a musician as gifted as James Ellis Ford. However, Ford had decided that he didn’t want The Hum to be entirely instrumental; not when he had such personal stories to convey in the lyrics he had penned. Coinciding with the build of his studio was the birth of his first child and this life-changing event gave him words. Stories to tell; emotions to convey. In other words, lyrics.

But Ford wasn’t a singer. He had never sung in public before, not even a burst of California Dreamin’ on the karaoke. Hell, he didn’t even sing in the shower. The easy option, of course, would have been to flick through the rolodex and reach out to one of his previous collaborators. After all, he had professional relationships with the likes of Alex Turner and Kylie Minogue. “It genuinely did cross my mind that I could make an album with a lot of guest features”, admitted Ford. However, this was something that he had to do on his own, and thank God that he did, for The Hum is an album that engages by virtue of the fact that it is so uniquely personal.

Screwing his courage to the sticking place, he went at it and we are treated to the result within the first few seconds of our second big surprise. The Hum’s third track in is just so unexpected. Like those flowers in Japanese tea that vibrantly blossom when the boiling water hits them, The Hum explodes in colour with the first few drops of I Never Wanted Anything. The outer petals are opening, facilitating clear sight into the very heart of this organism. I Never Wanted Anything is, quite simply, an utterly sublime pop song. It is understated and charming, the all-too-familiar tale of dawning realisation that many of life’s opportunities are slowly retreating into the distance.

Musically, it is a treat. However, that vocal, the voice he was so reluctant to share with the world, is a revelation. It’s the greatest surprise of all those in The Hum. Ford’s vocal is unpretentious, almost fragile. Perhaps this is a consequence of his vulnerability, firstly as a new parent, but also by virtue of his embarkation on his solo career. He is, thankfully, not a bawler. Instead, he is warm and human and his voice is perfectly suited to these tunes, much more so than I imagine, say, Alex Turner or Kylie Minogue’s would be.

From there, we glide into The Hum’s recently released single, Squeeky Wheel. It follows a similar template to I Never Wanted Anything in the sense that it is all languid and tranquil and served up with the minimum of fuss. Sounding like Eno does Motown, it is incredibly enjoyable and it serves to reinforce just what an excellent songwriter Ford is. Reinforcing that is the delectable Golden Hour, which is reminiscent of those lullaby-ballads that The Beatles trademarked on their final few albums. Cementing that Beatles link is the song’s subject matter, concerning satori, that heightened state of awareness that may come during meditation. Very White Album.

A superb change of pace occurs when the album’s final instrumental, Caterpillar, kicks in. It’s carries a mighty funk-driven riff that loops around and around, bewitching you into a trance. Another instrumental, The Yips, has a similar vibe, although has the added bonus of an enchanting Middle Eastern melody. Bizarrely, it reminds me of those little passages that serve to elevate Blancmange’s eighties hit, Living On The Ceiling. Both of these instrumentals reinforce the versatility and creativity of Ford.

Earlier, I spoke about Ford’s courage in overcoming his reluctance to sing in public. Despite his love for them, his other torment was what he describes as “sappy songs”; sentimental, super-personal pieces. Fortunately for us, this was another demon he laid to rest in the making of this album. The appropriately named Closing Time is The Hum’s final track and is arguably its crowning moment. Yes, this paean to ageing and coming to terms with mortality is schmaltzy and emotional, but it is outstandingly performed and yet another outstanding example of brilliant song writing.

The Hum spoils us. It is something of a triumph; a record comprised of a set of wonderfully heartfelt, personal tunes. It’s an album of pleasant surprises and, critically, it announces the latest chapter in the career of James Ellis Ford. That’s a story we can all look forward to following.

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James Ellis Ford can be found here. He is also on Twitter.

Warp Records can be found here. They are also on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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All words by Gordon Rutherford. More writing by Gordon can be found in his archive.

Gordon is also on Twitter as @R11Gordon and has a website here: https://thedarkflux.com