Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

In certain circles the name and more importantly the ability of Eleanor Nelly is well known. However with a short step up to the microphone and a guitar securely plugged in, what comes next just simply blows your mind.

Think back to that age if you can, your ambitions, your hopes and possible future, what you thought of, what you held onto since, is exactly what must go through the mind of this impressive young performer. She is good, really good, she sings as if every angel has found a devil in which to date and all agonies and human woes are now forgotten. The phrase voice of an angel, too easily bandied around by those with a certain axe to grind doesn’t even apply here. The shyness between songs masks a voice that when in full flow all you can do is sit back and think of the old Maxwell advert and see every layer of your skin being peeled back till what you are left with is what the Devils and Angels allow you to have, unrivalled sight into your music loving history and then placing Eleanor Nelly, present and future somewhere quite near the top.

For those that had not seen the young woman before but know their history of music, the feeling of watching her play inside District as part of the Threshold Festival must be akin to those that saw the young Beryl Marsden perform in the Cavern over 50 years ago. The thoughts of Post-War Liverpool are for some a distant memory, perhaps arguably even now worth selling on for a quick fix, however the comparisons are there to be made, because listening to a mix of her own tracks, You’re My Reason, Darkwood and People and some outrageously good covers such as Not With Haste and the stunning Belly of the Blues it is impossible not to sit infront of her and believe in her.

You only hope, you cross every single finger and pray to whichever deity gets you through the night that this young woman and her ability is not pushed by the unscrupulous too soon and left to be musically pure for as long as possible. She needs to enjoy life before life becomes too exciting. Should she decide in a year or two to do something else then so be it for at least she will have given some wonderful music memories to many. Talent such as this should be nurtured properly, not left to be fought over. If though time is kind, to be there at the near start of what could be a great career is nothing but astounding.

Ian D. Hall