Hunting is the debut album from Sydney based singer-songwriter Ernest Ellis, and is partly the product of two months of seclusion up in the Blue Mountains. As debut albums go, Hunting is pretty ambitious in both method and in sound - there is certainly a cinematic feel to the music; a sense of space, which no doubt is the product of it being created in the "wilderness". It is certainly one of the best and most varied debut albums I have heard in a while. 

Ellis is undeniably a prolific songwriter. This is evidenced by the very fact that he had to whittle three albums worth of tracks down to the twelve we see on this record. Hell, that is quite some achievement! No doubt those songs are just as strong as the ones that made up this album, but just didn't have the same feel or tone to be included. Hopefully those tracks will find the light of day soon. 

Back to the songs that made the album though: they are a real triumph, and so varied. There are many different elements splashed together to create this real hybrid album. There are moments of rock fuzz and distorted guitars, then there are some beautiful piano driven moments, not to mention everything else in between. Lyrically, this album is full of the self-discovery motifs, and the themes of abandonment and insecurity. But at the same time, the beauty and lushness of the music works in juxtaposition to this. There is a definite pop feel to the record, though only in the sense that it is quite an accessible album - it's not something which will put people off right from the first listen. Indeed, it will probably do the opposite. Ellis' great soulful - and at times mournful - vocals create an atmosphere which is almost palpable. This, coupled with the great song writing and clever and catchy lyrics, will no doubt hook the listeners. 

Musically, Ellis reminds me of so many different artists, indeed it changes from song to song. At time he reminds me of Springsteen, though that comparison largely comes from his song writing; they both address similar themes and motifs within their work, and Ellis seemingly has a prolificacy that in time could no doubt match Springsteen's. Not only that "Valley Song" is a song that sounds that it could come straight from the Springsteen songbook, it's one of those beautifully haunting guitar driven songs which would be at home on Nebraska. At other times, Ellis reminds me of Bon Iver - vocally, they have a similar tone and sound; and then at other times he reminds me somewhat of The Killers, and perhaps most surprisingly MGMT. But then at the same time he sounds like none of these: he has his own sound, one which is quite refreshing and hauntingly beautiful. 

This is a debut album that I cannot wait to hear live! Thanks to the One Movement people, I won't have to wait too long for that pleasure. I wholly recommend you all go out and buy this album, it is definitely a contender for my top album of the year, and is certainly one of the best debut albums I have heard for a while. Hopefully we won't have to wait too long for the follow up.

Review Score: 9/10