Dennis Ellsworth’s Hardcore Freewheelin‘ is another stellar addition to the Canadian singer-songwriter’s acclaimed catalogue, and the followup to 2023’s Modern Hope, which was nominated for Solo Recording of the Year at the East Coast Music Awards.
Hardcore Freewheelin’ finds Ellsworth teamed up with producer Jim Bryson (Kathleen Edwards, Sarah Harmer, Tragically Hip), a collaboration that seems long overdue considering their shared passion for exploring the emotional depths of pop songwriting. On its 11 songs, Hardcore Freewheelin’ sounds carefree on its surface, but standout tracks such as I Can’t Impress You, Count To Ten and Keep My Joy expand upon the themes that made Modern Hope a quiet masterpiece.
Like the recent work of Wilco and Teenage Fanclub, Ellsworth has reached a new level of creative maturity, as he takes in life’s wonder and complexity through the lens of fatherhood, wrapping it all up in a sophisticated package that provides Bryson with the stage on which to perform his sonic magic.
A lot of that feeling is captured on the album’s opening track Ride With You, which sets the tone for Hardcore Freewheelin’s overarching theme of finding a lifelong personal connection. “Ride With You is a song about promise, and remembering meeting someone important,” Ellsworth explains. “In the first stages of love, there’s desire and lust, and the feeling of being saved. This song is about looking back and remembering the feelings when you realized commitment was forming.”
It may be tempting to describe Ellsworth as “a songwriter’s songwriter,” but there’s never been any question about his music’s accessibility. Hardcore Freewheelin’ will surely resonate with anyone possessing an open heart and the capacity to find joy in life’s simple pleasures.
Listen to Hardcore Freewheelin’ below or check it out HERE.
