Blizzard

Not only because of Ellis's extraordinary vocal command and gasp of dynamics but because his songs manage to be both mysteriously personal and yet immediately emotionally resonant. [Feb 2026, p.80]

At times, the picked and strummed guitars, rolling 70s rock piano, wind instruments and clattering percussion are interspersed with random noises and distortion, but somehow everything seems to have fallen perfectly into place on a glorious debut.

Dove Ellis’ debut translates his quietly magnetic presence into something much larger, one that barely scratches the surface of what he’s capable of. We’re just at the start.

A few songs risk diffusing this focus, spreading it across a broadly sketched, intentionally obscure narrative. .... But when all of that intensity and emotionality converges on a single image that boasts staying power in its own right, the record transcends the (already impressive) sum of its parts and reaches utterly new heights.

He thrives in this intersection of extremes: there are moments of overwhelming emotional release, such as the swell and drop of ‘Tie Your Hair Up’, but there are also glimmers of delicacy.

The fuzz caked like dust onto Ellis’ demo mixtape has been cleaned off on Blizzard thanks to its proper mix and production job, allowing his extraordinary flirtations with folk music to shine.

Though he could push his sound to be a bit more personal, he’s already armed with a generational voice, an explorative mindset and a singular writing style. Something exciting is bound to emerge from the storm.

Dove Ellis arrives fully formed on this self-produced debut. [Jan 2026, p.30]