EP Review: Ryan Ellis “Nite-N-Day”

Ryan Ellis certainly deserves all the accolades and GMA Dove award nominations that he earned penning songs for famous artists such as Natalie Grant, Meredith Andrews, Matt Redman, and Chris Tomlin. His own music certainly does not disappoint, either.

His newest EP is a transformative album that reflects Ellis’s spiritual transformation:

“NITE-N-DAY speaks to my personal journey of transformation and finding love that changed everything,” Ellis shares. “I used to live a life focused solely on myself, going 100 miles an hour on everything in excess, but I still felt empty. Then, I found Jesus. He showed me I was worthy of love and helped me cope with the anxiety and pain. God brought light to my life, chasing away all the shadows and making everything clearer. It was like night and day, a complete transformation. I questioned myself and realized that I couldn’t run from love. That’s something I still go through, but writing these songs is a reminder and a reflection of the relationship I have with the Holy Spirit and also the flow of life and relationships and people. God is in it all…NITE-N-DAY.”

MUSIC AND PRODUCTION

Progressive and sleek, Nite-N-Day is a blended family of multicultural music styles from urban pop and R&B, with a hint of reggae and disco texture adding to the flavor. Ryan sees little distinction between pop Christian music and worship music – his music is simply both/and.

This is a must-hear album if you want to strengthen your spiritual walk and expand your musical palate. Ellis’s music is heavy on the electric piano, snappy rhythms, fast-paced vocals, and cool effects. He proves what we all knew all along, Christian music doesn’t need to be boring or uninspiring.

TRACKS

Comprised of just five tracks, NITE-N-DAY will give you a glimpse into the musical excellence and innovative songwriting that Ryan Ellis has to offer.

Solo. This track is a hyper-cool tribute to giving God control of your life, with a fast-paced lyric and a laid-back yet energetic feel. It instantly pulls you into Ryan’s spiritually transformative album with its rich textural percussion and descriptive stanzas.

Nite-N-Day. The title track is a song of rebirth and spiritual awakening, with a psychedelic style and reverse-synth sound effects that will engage your heart, your head, and your soul.

Next to Me. A sweet love song with a more pop-style beat, Next to Me seems almost out of place on this otherwise God-focused album, although this song is dripping with sunglass-style coolness, sincere love, and a slightly trippy musical impression.

Never Surrender talks about not giving up – except giving it all up to God and submitting to the Lord. This song feels like it has a distinctive Reggae influence.

Need (Remix) This is a passionate song of thanks to God for supplying all our needs. It has a catchy bass hook and a big helping of driving, rhythmic effects.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, Ryan Ellis’s EP, Nite-N-Day, is a hyper-cool compilation of rhythmic texture, R&B heart with a bit of pop-soul, smattered with eclectic influences, and the profound spiritual transformation of God’s love. Ryan shows us that we don’t have to be stuffy and boring as Christians; we can be modern and fresh, entertaining and fun, while glorifying God and spreading His transformative love through song. Be sure to listen close to the interesting effects that create the rhythmic texture of the music and don’t miss the profound writing in Ellis’s fast-paced lyrics.

MORE

The world could use more innovative and inspiring love songs like Next to Me to remind us what true love is – adding a few more to this album would add balance to the EP.

LESS 

I would love to hear the vocals have a little more pop over top of the cool sound effects.

Guitar Reviews

Our Recent Devotional Podcast