Guns and Horses is the 3rd single to come from Ellie’s début album ‘Lights’ and is the opening track. The texture starts off relatively thin with just Ellie, her guitar and a repetitive drum loop. I like this, it reminds her audience of her acoustic roots, as after all, before she met producer, Starsmith, not long ago, her music was just her and her guitar. Ellie and her acoustic guitar are the origin of many of the songs on her album and ‘Guns and Horses’ is one of them.
And then comes the synth. Not overly powerful, just enough to enhance the mood and create an atmosphere of intensity, complimenting the mysterious lyrics that Ellie sings. “Let’s join forces; we’ve got our guns and horses. I know you’ve been burnt but another fire is a lesson learnt.” What does Ellie actually mean by these lyrics? Is this song a cavalry themed song, a song about arson or a love story? Ellie is deliciously shadowy concerning the topic of this song through her lyrics, in fact, admiringly so.
As the song continues Starsmith’s production unfolds, bridges and choruses become bigger. This track is very cleverly produced, from the layered electric violin sounds to the fast flowing drum loops and handclaps. Ellie’s guitar also builds, as do her compassionate lyrics of “I’d do it all for you.” The repetition adds fervour and zeal and makes the listener really believe the words that she sings. Her lyrics are honest, yet not explicit.
This song, as a concept, contains flecks of genius; combining acoustic music with dance music to create a hazy, yet, sophisticated, polished pop song. Ellie and Starsmith have done phenomenally well with this song, their work flattering constantly each other.
8/10
Katie x
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