That newcomer Ernest Ellis wrote most of his debut album Hunting while holed up in a Blue Mountains cabin on his lonesome has undoubtedly affected its outcome. A constant sense of space permeates this release – from the booming echo of the drums (‘Pulse’) to the persistent vocal reverb (especially noticeable on the plaintive acoustic track, ‘Valley Song’) and the layered guitar overdubs and choral accompaniment (‘Loveless’).

Despite the distance conveyed by the production, Ellis and his band – drummer Mat Gardner and bassist Ben Morgan – manage to avoid the pitfalls of overly sterile pop perfection (see: The Temper Trap’s Conditions) by injecting these songs with a human sense of warmth. The handclapped beat of ‘Heading For The Cold’ seems purpose-built for the festival set, yet such aspirations shouldn’t be held against Ellis: he deftly tows the line between folk, pop and rock with consistently favourable results.

'Want For Anything' and 'Bad Blood' are among a handful of electric full-band excursions. The latter is pinned to a peculiar five-note fuzz guitar riff, layers of open acoustic chords and words describing decaying friendships (“Who told you there's just too much to tell?/Who said my friends will keep you out of the weeds when you're in hell?”). It's the straightest cut, and one of the best, although its inertia is stilted somewhat by a dead-end instrumental breakdown that weakens the song's overall impact.

Forget that 'When I Feel Like Jesus' Son The World Will Feel Much Different' reads like a typically-OTT Yo La Tengo song title; there’s still a lot of joy to be had in the high register vocals, delayed clean guitar and undulating synth. Both 'I Am The Beast' and 'Taking Shapes' find Ellis dabbling with electronics, and neither take comes off half-baked. The split-psyche, distorted vocal refrain that runs through 'I Am The Beast' even vaguely sounds – for better or worse – like Primitive Radio Gods' mid-’90s hit, 'Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand'.

Ultimately, cohesion is not Ellis' forte, but this is an observation, not a complaint. Hunting is some disjointed shit. But what Ellis lacks in an overall vision – these 12 tracks are so sonically varied, they’re practically unrelated – he makes up with ambition.

by Andrew McMillen