Ernest Ellis Shine Like Me

After a couple of years in musical hibernation, Sydney act Ernest Ellis has brand new material for us to enjoy. Having released two albums in quick succession (Hunting in 2010 followed by King's Cannon just over 12 months later), their upcoming LP, Cold Desire, features a new direction musically, which they're describing as a "renewed sense of space and feel."

First up is the fantastic "Shine Like Me," a measured, sauntering track that highlights the aforementioned changes in the band's musical make-up which stem from a shift in instrumentation, production, and vocal delivery. I've always felt Ernest's voice was a stand-out, but you can sense that comfortableness here with a lower tone to the vocals. This filters through, with the space and feel appearing in the form of some suitably drifting, smokey keys and marching percussion -- leaving the vocals to sink in perfectly. The first comparisons you might come to are slightly eclectic acts like Eels or Beck, but there's something a bit Broken Bells to it too.

I'm always interested to see where a new direction takes an act, and March's release of Cold Desire will definitely be an intriguing listen.