Sound Check: ‘Lovebird’ By Ellis Piper Gives Hope To Hopeless Romantics
by Anton Kromoff
Welcome to the table,
While there is a great deal of debate about the actual meaning of art in the philosophical sense, the Cambridge Dictionary defines art as “The making of objects, images, music, etc. that are beautiful or that express feelings.”
For the purposes of this Sound Check, and honestly, all those going forward, unless otherwise stated, we are going to go with that definition. Sonic experiences that can provoke emotional responses are often akin to magic in my mind. There is some kind of strange magic in the opening chords of Led Zeppelin‘s Over the Hills and Far Away that instantly slows my breathing and causes my body to relax.
The iconic G from My Chemical Romance‘s Welcome to the Black Parade feels like some ancient incantation summoning my attention like some ancient forgotten chime only known by the sorcerer kings time forgot. The opening countdown from Yoko Kanno and Seatbelts Tank wakes me up more quickly than a double shot of espresso and puts a smile on my face that takes hours to fade. Kenny Loggins‘s Return To Pooh Corner strikes a cord so deep in my soul that I can’t listen to the whole song without crying in a way that nothing else makes me cry.
There is just something powerful in the mystical magics being woven by the musicians who fill my extensive library. While I enjoy a wide variety of artists from all across the globe, I rarely add something to my regular rotation. Still, recently I have found myself gravitating to the work of Ellis Piper, and that has me more than a little convinced that she has something magical going on within the soft corners of her sonic storytelling.
Today we are going to be taking a listen to her album Lovebird.
For those not familiar, Piper is a self-proclaimed singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. I would liken her musical stylings to lyrical folk storytelling that lands on the ear like elevated lullabies and gentle ballads. It evokes cozy corners in quiet coffeeshops and warm mornings watching the sunrise over the city from under the folds of knit blankets, while someone who worries about whether you are eating enough makes you breakfast in the next room.
Lovebird is composed of 12 tracks, each a love song presented in Piper’s signature soothing style.
The standout for me is Best Friends Forever, a positively bubbly track featuring upbeat vocals, strings, and auxiliary instruments by Piper herself, and accompanied by Simon Wesley on piano, Alex Ciardullo on bass & drums, and Copeland James on mouth trumpet.
The bounce on this track is infectious. It pairs perfectly with both the morning workload of checking emails and checking things off the to-do list, while somehow being able to serve as a great alarm clock track, or a delightful sonic pal during afternoon reading time or crafts.
There is a sing-song magic in the lyrics of this track that showcases Piper’s ability to draw you into the emotional space with her. It resonates with the multifaceted nature of the romantic experience in a compelling way. It’s hard to nail down what “love” feels like, as emotions are subjective, but there is a warmth and comfort that many long for. Piper’s ability to lace that feeling into the space this track occupies is nothing short of a masterclass in filling the room without dominating it.
Another standout for me is the emotionally impactful Walking Me Home. Piper’s lyrics are haunting and grounded with a brilliant use of ambient conversational audio behind the beautiful tinny strings. She is joined by Simon Wesley for vocals on this track, and it really does bring a sense of powerful affirmation nested within a comfortable blanket of sound.
There is this thing where some of us leave the life we had. It could be for our own safety. It could be because we are joining another on a journey we are going to take together. There is a fear and worry that can come in those moments; those transitional periods of going from one chapter of life to another. In true Ellis Piper fashion, Walking Me Home captures that feeling but does it wrapped in a soft blanket with a few of your favorite cookies and a room lit by soft dusklight.
Lovebird is a strong offering and makes me want to see what comes next from Piper. All indications seem to point to more of her signature style of stitching comfort into sonic storytelling in the best possible ways.
Until next time, I grew up loathing The Sound of Music for way too many childhood trauma reasons to dig into today, but Piper’s been able to turn me around on a song that kept me up at night with a version that has become one of my most listened to tracks of 2026. It’s not featured on Lovebird, but it is 100% worth your time to check out. You can find it below.
