At first glance, I immediately assumed my favorite Hobbit launched his second career as a singer. Dope! Hold up! Wait a minute! There is an S in the last name. This is not my tortured Hobbit risking life and limbs to put a ring on it, but a young, mainstream pop star named Elijah Woods with dreamy brown eyes already making some serious waves in a crowded industry. His popularity stretches across the globe from London, Seoul, Hong Kong and Singapore just to name drop a few. This Toronto-based multi-platinum artist, songwriter, recording engineer and producer, recently dropped a six track EP entitled Hey There Elijah that features four brand new songs-“Elijah Wood,” “We Should Stick Together,” “January Eyes” and “Wash Away.”
My first question is does Hey There Elijah, pay homage to the Plain White T’s 2006 Hey There Delilah? There is a heartfelt connectivity in both, but with very different stories stemming from each. However, this is a debate for another day.
The Hey There Elijah EP gets things going with the track “Elijah Wood” (sans the S). It starts off as a catchy melody then transitions into a breezy dance party. I’m not mad at it, but I do wish the spirit of the opening lingered a bit longer on the same tonal track where it began. “Elijah Wood” takes an interesting turn and almost becomes a completely different song. This is not to plant a seed that it’s not a good song, but a slightly misleading one. I can only guess as the door begins to crawl to a close in 2024, this may very well be Woods signature style and he could create a new music trend for the next generation of artists. Stockpiling over 1 billion streams across his discography, Woods’ meteoric rise as an independent artist has been nothing short of extraordinary. With multiple platinum and gold records, four JUNO Award nominations, and a SOCAN 2022 Pop Award to his prestigious list of credits, Woods is an artist on the brink of global stardom and sold-out shows.
Originality is a hard trait to come by and what is most fascinating about Hey There Elijah is that it does not sound like an EP resurrected from anything that you have previously heard. “We Should Stick Together,” “January Eyes” and “Wash Away” sound like tracks out of a rock-and-soul revue; each harnessing the potential to top the 100 singles chart. What I like most about Woods is the manner in which he sings. There is an undeniable pop hook, and a profound confidence with an ‘I don’t care‘ demeanor that circulates within his lyrics. With an upbeat energy and just a hint of bluesiness, Hey There Elijah has the power of words to elevate your mood if you allow it. It is an absolutely infectious EP and a natural fit for anyone looking to upgrade their playlist.
Featured Photo Credit: George Pimentel