Stream Stars Fall Down here
I don't know much about Ernie Jackson, but here is what I've recently discovered... He's a singer songwriter from North Yorkshire, he may be the first Ernie to hit the UK pop charts since Benny Hill sang about Ernie - The Fastest Milkman in the West, he has an amazing ear for an engaging melody and the dude looks good in a suit. What more could you want?! Well a brilliant debut single would be a good start and luckily Ernie Jackson's premiere single Stars Fall Down is a complete winner from start to finish. It's a song about love and loss, heartbreak and wistful longing with lyrics that unveil the downfall of a relationship in personal and intimate detail. Like many good songs about this subject matter, however, - and the type of song that endures through the ages - it's got that glorious juxtaposition of a vibrant, buoyant score to help ease the pain, as if dancing away the hurt will lead you to a better emotional place (and it surely will). The upbeat and uptempo instrumental is infused with the influence of Motown and sixties soul whilst vibrating with it's own effervescent personality. Playful horn riffs dance alongside peppy percussion and a jangling guitar that provide the perfect backdrop for Ernie's nuanced vocals - he's clearly in his element within this setting and it shows as he breathes tangible life into the story he is so masterfully narrating. Moments of magic abound with heavenly textured vocal harmonies and a mellifluous chorus that effortlessly worms its way into your cerebral cortex, refusing to let go. It's a song and performance that is never anything less than mesmerising thanks to Ernie ably guiding the melody with his soulful tones. Whilst it's origins and inspiration may come from Motown, Ernie ably makes the song his own - leaving you eager for more from this exciting new talent who gives us the type of song that sounds amazing now and most likely 20 years from now.
Note - I hear that Ernie not only plays piano but also guitar, bass and drums. Surely this is indicative of how involved he has been in all aspects of the crafting of this tune (with some wonderful production from Jeff Blue)...
UPDATE - 31st October 2014:
Click here to listen to Ernie's cover of Ed Sheeran's Don't
Whilst I still can't get enough of this beautiful pop gem Stars Fall Down, DO make sure that you take time to listen to Ernie's cover of Ed Sheeran's DON'T. He's taken the ubiquitous smash and transformed it thanks to an electrifying guitar accompaniment that gives the well known lyrics a more brash organic setting to flourish in. This has the effect of making the lyrics seem more vivid, more tangible - and Ernie certainly excels in his soulful vocals seeking out every ounce of heartache and yearning the track has to offer. It's interesting that the arrangement pays deference to the original Ed Sheeran version yet doesn't aim to just replicate it, proving that Ernie is able to bring his own style and personality into play. What is also quite clever about the (beautifully shot) video is that it shows Ernie in a stripped back setting which really allows the focus to be on him as a performer and his voice as the anchor to said performance. Any flaws are going to be exposed but that's not the case here - he's a compelling stage presence and that voice could sing the phone book and make it interesting. I'm smitten...
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