Cab Ellis’ Self-Titled Third Album Refuses To Sit Still

Cab Ellis is the type of band that is truly dedicated to making music for themselves. Their sounds veer away from mainstream, mass-produced music played in an arena, preferring to provide the soundscapes of an intimate concert in an underground venue. You can hear in the clashing, atmospheric instrumentals and the lead singer’s unpredictable vocals that this is music that is first and foremost creatively driven.

The Brooklyn-based band’s third studio album is reminiscent of early emo bands in that perfectly clean, precise technique takes a back seat to expression and artistic passion. But that is not to say there aren’t some talented musicians at the helm. The band consists of lead vocalist and guitarist Connor Abeles, drummer Chris Cotton, guitarists Devlin Tenney and Olin Clark, bassist Josh “Ugi” Uguccioni, saxophone player Greg Carleton, and trombone player Gabe Fraivillig.

The album has a complex sound profile blending the genres of indie rock, country, blues, jazz, and just a touch of folk to create an arrangement that feels like taking a road trip outside of the city. There is a distinctly Americana tinge to each of the tracks that is heard in the vibrant guitar riffs and jazz-inspired interludes that occasionally come between choruses.

The opening track, “Brand New Chair,” is an excellent introduction to both Cab Ellis’ chaotic brand as a whole and the album itself. The band’s press release describes the track as having “an eerie, neurotic, explosive energy,” creating a “tonal haven for organized chaos.” Rather than being a gentle entry into the band’s sound, you are pulled into an almost discordant clash of jazz and rock music that seems to fight with each other. You may be slightly confused until you start to hear traces of a melody, and slowly the various sounds start to come together like pieces in a jigsaw puzzle. Abeles utilizes a distorted effect on his percussive voice similar to some production techniques used by Dallon Weekes during his Brobecks days. At the same time, the spoken-word delivery—an homage to Abeles’ background in rap—evokes Twenty-One Pilots with some of the emphatic pronunciations of Johnny Rotten in “God Save The Queen.” 

The second track, “You’re Too Far Along,” is a stark contrast from the energetic opening. The album loves to keep listeners guessing both within songs and between tracks. This time, Cab Ellis opts to lean more into their penchant for country/blues with a slightly more cohesive harmony. Far from suddenly going country in a general indie/alt rock album, there is still an element of surprise by switching between a smooth wind orchestral arrangement and brash acoustic guitar strums. Abeles’ voice is stripped of the distortion in “Brand New Chair” to be placed front and center. What I found so interesting about this song is how it leads you into believing it is one thing (symphonic wind piece) before morphing into another song part way through (rough acoustic folk song) and proceeds to jump between the two.

“Just Like Napoleon” picks up where this track left off. More of Abeles’s vocal ability is shown off as he leaps between a falsetto, a yell, and more spoken-word delivery. It’s not quite rap, more like the type of talk-singing heard in musical theater or the kind of rhythmic speech you would hear at a slam poetry reading. Shifting significantly from largely acoustic sounds, “Just Like Napoleon” lands somewhere between Peter McPoland and The 1975.

One standout track, and my personal favorite, is the short interlude “I Hope Your Baby Get It All.” Leaning into a vintage, nearly archaic sound with a sparkling, chiming sound in the background, accompanied by a piano tune. This song is very atmospheric; there is a lot more harmony present rather than the musical parkour that the band tends to prefer. The interlude acts as a palate cleanser from the  packed, complex arrangements of “State Became A Country” with its echoic chorus and the loud, bashing chords of “Taste of Iron.”

The 10th track and single, “Crumbs of the Crumbled World,” feels like the true heart of the album. The opening chords of the intro are similar to those of the Regrettes, creating a surfer-rock sound with the kind of warmth that immediately brings the listener to the beach and boardwalk. / Abeles intertwines his spoken delivery with his distinctively jumpy singing style. His vocal style in this track could be likened to the style of Manchester-based indie artist Seb Lowe in songs such as “iPhone” and “Terms and Conditions.” The backing vocals provide a sleek backdrop, contrasting with some of the rougher, messier main vocals. While Abeles said, “I wanted it to be an ice-cold industrial New York City album,” this number has a certain warmth that brings the listener closer to the beaches of Montauk rather than the “ice-cold” city.

Cab Ellis is out now and available to stream on Spotify!

Written by J.D. Valdepenas

Photos by Colin Lane 

Cover Art By Mark Chamberlain