Artist: Elessar Thiessen
Album: A Rainy Week In Paradise
Production: Produced and Engineered by Elessar Thiessen; Vocals Engineered by Jordan Jackiew; Mixed and Mastered by Jordan Jackiew
Having the instinctive ability to naturally touch other people’s hearts and emotions is an alluring attribute that not everyone organically possesses. But being able to uplift others by courageously exposing the darkest corners of your soul is an even more resolute quality that not everyone maintains, which makes those who do have it even more inspiring. Canadian singer-songwriter-producer Elessar Thiessen’s recently released full-length debut album, ‘A Rainy Week in Paradise,’ proves that he does have that quality, which helps make him an exhilarating musician. The singer, who also plays the guitar, organ and piano on the record, easily connects to his listeners through exposing his relatable longing, angst, agony, fear and shattered confidence. But he also encourages joy and provides hope that everyone will achieve their goals through vocals, lyrics and instrumentals that are rooted in love, truth and deep faith.
The 11-track ‘A Rainy Week in Paradise’ begins its captivating journey with the alluring and memorable ‘Another Love Song,’ which features a soothing introduction of rain sounds and vulnerable guitar. Thiessen emotionally reveals he doesn’t want to write another love song until a woman steals his heart. He passionately notes that he feels trivial love, like shallow water, will only fulfill you on the surface. The musician’s initial entry grippingly questions if society is truly ready to take a moral stance on love.
The next track on the soul and blues-inspired record, titled ‘I Need a Woman,’ dives right into Thiessen’s heartfelt lyrics, as he sensitively admits that he wants to find a woman who cares about him enough to write him a love song. The track’s acoustic guitar and soul-inspired bass also alluringly reveals how the musician envisions walking hand-in-hand with the woman he cares about, as they passionately get lost in expressing their love through their creative outlets.
The next entry, which is titled ‘Lover Dear’ and features Catherine Wylee on the supporting vocals, presents itself as potentially the most emotional and endearing song from ‘A Rainy Week in Paradise’ that Thieseen will perform live. With the guidance of a slow piano, the musician asserts that he’ll catch the tears of love from the woman he cares about, as he notes that her heart won’t recover until she reveals her true emotions. The song, which is so full of emotion that it seem like it’s based on his true experiences, is a captivating recounting of him feeling like he’s falling in love for the first time.
‘A Rainy Week in Paradise’ then delves into the alternative-driven song, ‘I Don’t Wanna Go,’ which features a captivating guitar introduction. Thiessen intriguingly ponders what happens to the man he used to be, as he’s feeling overwhelmed with the way his life has turned out. His emotional sentiments are enthrallingly highlighted by edgier drums and vocals, which don’t come across as vulnerable as they did on the album’s earlier entries. But the singer does emotionally admit that he’s terrified of losing his control and identity, even though he does realize he has to let go of command sometimes and let other people in to help him.
The next track on the alternative record, ‘You Girl,’ which features singer Alexa Dirks, is one of Thiessen’s most noteworthy efforts. The song begins with a captivating soul and blues-driven drum and guitar introduction, before he vulnerably reveals that all he can think about is the woman he loves, and can’t concentrate on anything besides her. Dirks also powerfully states that all she can think about is him when she wakes up, proving that their emotional revelations and voices fit well together.
The album then intriguingly dives into the insightful entry, ‘When the World Ends,’ which immediately shows off Thiessen’s intelligent vocals. The musician grippingly ponders when the world is going to end through his edgy vocals and guitar. The song intriguingly moves away from the musician’s captivating emotions over the woman he loves to instead consider the important social implications of how people’s actions will end their world.
The next engry, ‘Without Him’ is the next gratifying track on ‘A Rainy Week in Paradise,’ as Thiessen harrowing reveals that he has experienced hopelessness. Through his tense and Jason Mraz-inspired vocals, the singer also notes that he feels overwhelmed and lost in life. With the help of an intriguing electronic-infused guitar and organ, the musician isn’t afraid to admit that he has seen the darkest areas of life.
The next memorable entry on the singer’s album, ‘Truth,’ begins with an intriguing electronic and blues-inspired guitar that leads into more upbeat revelations about his life. Thiessen captivatingly notes that he no longer wants people’s perceptions to be twisted, and there shouldn’t be any surprises in this generation, which will happen if they fully seek the truth. The song’s positive message about finding their true reality make it a potential radio hit.
Thiessen continues the alluring momentum on ‘A Rainy Week in Paradise’ with its title track, which features with a compelling country-inspired piano and guitar introduction. The song includes an upbeat vibe that encourages its listeners to fully embrace their environment. The singer also urges people to seek shelter from bad weather while in paradise, which is a powerful metaphor for shielding their bad feelings from strained relationships. But he also notes that people must also find the courage to courageously go out into the world, and try to loosen up their personalities. The track, which also features noteworthy Jason Mraz-inspired vocals, offers a positive outlook on the merits of not holding anything back.
The alluring title track then leads into the inspirational ‘Sister,’ which begins with a soulful guitar introduction. Thiessen emotionally embraces his memories and love for his sister as he chronicles how she’s getting ready to move out on her own to seek her dreams. His sentimental vocals chronicle how he’s looking back on his shared experiences with his sister, as he also wishes that they could spend more time together talking about her dreams. The singer passionately expresses his love again, but this time it’s aimed towards his sister, as he states proud to be her brother.
‘A Rainy Week in Paradise’ ends on a passionate note with the intriguing song, ‘The Perfect Bloom,’ which begins with the same running water-inspired background introduction as ‘Another Love Song.’ The musician also incorporates the same soulful acoustic guitars and piano as the album’s first song, as he passionately reveals how much he and the woman he loves care for each other. Thiessen also sensually ends the record by noting that they want to find peace together, and how the other person with their daily pain.
Naturally being able to understand and relay universal emotions is an alluring attribute that not everyone instinctively possesses. But being able to uplift others by courageously exposing the darkest corners of your soul is an even more alluring quality, as it makes you appear more relatable and approachable. Thiessen inspiringly showcased his ability to chronicle his riveting passion for life and the woman he loves in his recently released full-length debut album, ‘A Rainy Week in Paradise.’ Through such captivating songs as ‘Another Love Song’ and the title track, the Canadian singer-songwriter-producer easily reflects the feelings of his listeners through chronicling such relatable emotions as longing, angst, love, truth and deep faith. But the musician also encourages joy and provides hope that everyone will achieve their goals through his gripping vocals, lyrics and instrumentals.
For more information on Thiessen, visit his official website, as well as his Facebook, Bandcamp, Soundcloud, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter pages. Listen to ‘A Rainy Week in Paradise’ in its entirety below.
Written by: Karen Benardello