Welcome back, Ellery Twining! We were thrilled to have you grace this platform with your stellar “Results” album last year, and it’s fantastic to see you return, this time with a deeper dive into a single that resonated with many: “S.B. Butler.” Hailing from Connecticut, Ellery isn’t just a musician; he’s a storyteller. “S.B. Butler” throws us right into the heart of childhood, a time before sprawling suburbs, when a patch of dirt and a jungle gym were our kingdoms.
Right from its introduction, “S.B. Butler” beckons us into a realm of nostalgia, where the innocence of youth intersects with the harsh realities of suburban life. The opening lines, “It was a village, not yet suburbia, but there was always an element of danger,” serve as a gateway to Twinning’s evocative storytelling. Ellery’s vocals here aren’t sung melodies, but a spoken-word delivery, a friend confidentially recounting tales from a bygone era. It’s intimate, conversational, and instantly pulls us into his world.
The song isn’t just about remembering scraped knees and scraped egos. There’s a deeper theme at play. It explores the unsupervised freedom of a bygone era, a time when kids were expected to navigate the world on their own terms. We learn curse words “from our parents,” a detail that underscores the sense of trust and independence.
But the beauty of “S.B. Butler” lies not just in the evocative lyrics but in the soundscape Ellery crafts around them. While credited with “all noises” himself, David Bentley’s bass guitar adds a grounding pulse, anchoring the narrative. The production by Eric Lichter is masterful, creating a subtle yet evocative backdrop—the scrape of knees, the distant rumble of a slammed door, the echo of laughter on the playground. The instrumentation, while sparse, is masterful. Simple yet evocative soundscapes complement Twining’s spoken word, creating a sense of intimacy and reflection.
The recently released music video, lensed by Michelle Gemma, perfectly complements the song’s themes. A mix of nostalgic childhood photographs and shots of model Carly Straub exploring the very locations mentioned in the lyrics—S.B. Butler Elementary, Ocean View Avenue, and the Odetah Playground—creates a powerful visual tapestry of a time both carefree and fraught with the bittersweet pang of growing up.
Overall, “S.B. Butler” is more than just a song; it’s a time capsule. Ellery Twining takes us back to a world of scraped knees, fierce friendships, and the ever-present undercurrent of both danger and freedom. It’s a song that will resonate with anyone who’s ever looked back on their childhood with a mix of fondness and longing. Ellery, we’re glad you’re back, and we eagerly await your next exploration of memory and melody.
Listen to “S.B. Butler” by Ellery Twining on Spotify or Bandcamp, watch the video with the above link, and let us know your thoughts.
You can follow Ellery Twining here for more information.
