"A five-piece pop orchestra with a classy, breezy indie feel."
--The Des Moines Register, Juice Magazine (Listen to the podcast)

"Ellie Come Home's album Primary Sources marks the moment when the band geeks get their sweet, melodic revenge. Featuring a piano, violin and cello riding atop a traditional rock rhythm section, ECH might not single-handedly make strings "hip" again (who could?), but at the very least, they're going to school the ignorant in the stunning adaptability of classical music. ... String players Maura Dunst and Jennifer Johanning pick their spots beautifully, playing counterpoint to singer/pianist Seth Ashley both vocally and instrumentally. The rhythm section struts, discotheque-style, propelling the melody ahead like a pair of afterburners. And then the buoyant vocal harmonies kick in, dousing the tune in aching splendor; somewhere, a Belle & Sebastian fan is soiling himself."
--Playback STL (Read the full review)

"Each carefully crafted song on 'Primary Sources' patiently unfolds into grand, gorgeous orchestral pop worthy of several listens. Lush arrangements, memorable hooks and glorious denouements are all in abundance and help elevate the album to the highest echelon of local debuts... Today it’s rare to come across anyone producing string-driven pop music of the same caliber nationally, let alone locally... It’s not hard to imagine this band being Ashley’s breakthrough. Ellie Come Home stands out and is a fresh idea."
--Columbia Daily Tribune (Read the full article)

"Ellie Come Home's just-released debut Primary Sources (Emergency Umbrella Records) is every bit as flawless as the band's amazing performance at the DuKum Upp last April would suggest... Led by musical savant Seth Ashley, Ellie Come Home's perfect balance of vocal harmonies, piano-based melodies, swelling violin and cello, and rock instrumentation puts them in a class of their own. Gliding from majestic pop symphonies to flowing ballads to mysterious disco-tinged laments, their live show is no less than breath-taking."
--www.kirksvillerocks.com


"As a debut album, Primary Sources is impressive. The orchestral strings and piano work to uplift even the moodiest listeners... The use of string instruments brings deepness as well as an effervescent lightness to the album, which was written, recorded and produced by Ashley... Inverted wordplay and dyslexia never sounded so good, as it does on 'Safe,' with such lyrics as, 'We'll shoot our guns and fry our shoes/drinking our stories, talking booze.' "
--The Maneater, Move Magazine (Read the full review)

"Ellie Come Home resonates with a kind of potential energy. Lullaby vocals and rich strings form a sound reminiscent of classical music but pumped up by energetic piano progressions and bouncy basslines."
--The Maneater, Move Magazine (Read the full article)