Ella Ronen in the Press
'Motherland' Album review by Frank Heer, published on NZZ am Sonntag (24.11.21)
“The first line on Ella Ronen's new album is: “I tried to fit in”. Later, she sings with her warm alto voice, which one cannot say whether it arises from a great melancholy or a bewitching calmness of mind: "I'm not from here".
The big theme of belonging is a common thread running through the eight new songs by the native Israeli, who has lived in Switzerland for many years.
Her dark shimmering chamber pop is filled with sparkling tremolo guitars, feather-light drums and artfully arranged strings.
Most of all, Ella Ronen is an excellent songwriter.
Not only in terms of her inventiveness of melodies, but also the lyrics: "My motherland burns like phantom pain, it wakes me up at night", she sings in the title song. It's highly political - but she does it with an unconditional ease that leaves room for hope. “
Click on the image for the review online (German).
'Motherland' Album review by Michael Buhli, published on ArtNoir Magazine (03.08.21)
"As we all know, you never swim in the same river twice, so why should different stays in cities feel the same. People change, the environment changes, new perceptions emerge. For Ella Ronen, returning to Zurich after several years in her birthplace of Tel Aviv was a fresh experience. With her third album "Motherland" she tells about such thoughts and situations,
emotionally charged folk-pop, led by the strong voice of the musician.
With the first song "I'm Not From Here" Ella Ronen immediately makes clear, home and place of residence often differ, the heart seeks its own way. Slightly melancholic and brooding, the artist's world is presented, then in the chorus as an open and hopeful possibility. Global pop with a conciliatory outcome, less critical than GINA ÉTÉ, yet full of heart and beauty
More intimate are "Housebroken" and "Holyland", strings and harmonies make you think of times gone by.
When Ella Ronen starts the closing title song with her voice alone, you feel very close to her and listen, spellbound.
Middle Eastern sound elements are woven into the composition, different countries and cultures combine to form a unity. At the latest now the light-footed nature of "Welcome To The Universe" makes sense, the beat of "Bubble" becomes a wonderful dance partner. Best of all, Ronen is already working on her next album, which will surely function as a cement for society once again".
Click on the image for the review online (German).
'Motherland' Album review and interview with Yaakov Baron, published on Yediot Aharonot (10.08.21)
Ella Ronen's new album: Sheer Musical Pleasure
Click on the image for the review online (Hebrew).
