Elusive, reclusive, euphoric. Dove Ellis showers Gorilla with a sublime show of singing and songwriting.

Dove Ellis is a hard person to pin down in both geographical and musical senses. Born and raised in Ireland, Ellis later became synonymous with the Manchester live scene a couple of years ago, he upped sticks to hit the London circuit. Perhaps it is the formative influences of all of these places which allows him to so naturally slip between styles, himself the only common denominator.

Ellis’ image is elusive, not for intentional marketing benefits but by his nature. As such, the listener must naturally come to him. That he doesn’t make it easy with social media friendly soundbites and instant gratification ultimately makes his music all the more rewarding.

Manchester venue Gorilla played host to his second night in the city on his most recent tour, a return to the place where he honed a live show which is today one of the most talked-about in the country. Ellis’ demand as a live performer has swelled in recent months after support dates with Geese were followed with the exceptional LP ‘Blizzard’. Originally booked for one show at Band on the Wall, it quickly became clear that this second show at Gorilla was a necessity. One senses he might just as easily have sold out a third night in the city.

The show felt like a kind of metamorphosis as Ellis commanded a stirring set with his powerful live presence. The audience were naturally captivated, the quality of songwriting on display evident for all to witness. The singer-songwriter fluctuated between a piano off to the side and up front with his guitar. His audience silently watched him perform his more intricate numbers such as ‘Feathers, Cash’ before erupting into the gospel-like choruse of Pale Song, an early moment of uplift. This crescendo peaked as ‘Love Is’ came crashing in towards the end.

Ellis’ music feels like a film soundtrack. His songs capture the ups and downs that no human is immune from, no matter how unique one feels. ‘Heaven Has No Wings’ wouldn’t be out of place in a Pixar movie. Each song captures a specific emotion so vividly, without throwing it in your face.

The nature of Ellis’ setup makes for a number of predictable comparisons, particularly Elliot Smith and Jeff Buckley. Along with these, the similarity of his style to Cameron Winter is striking, both on recording and live. The passionate wailing of elongated vowels privileged over careful enunciation is particularly distinctive of both artists. These voices feel free, like they could meander in any direction, free from structure.

The time Ellis has put in on the live circuit is plain for all to see. His delivery is now a masterclass. The set weaves from chamber pop intimacy to balladic affirmation, from a euphoric chorus to an intimate rendition of his poetry. Enumerating the talents of Dove Ellis feels almost pointless. He knows it, and the audience knows it. With such evidently transformative capacity in the live space, it will be interesting to see if Ellis can maintain his unassuming image, which in today’s environment of overstimulation passes for mystique. Certainly, it does not suit the prevailing model of algorithmic games that has even established pop heroes doing TikTok dances to gain new traction. Can you grow, and go all the way purely from the merit of the material, without boardrooms focusing on SEO practices? On the strength of this set and the audience that turned out for it, there is hope artists like Ellis can continue to chart their own course.