New Music: Ernest Ellis & The Panamas’ “Great Sky”
After the resounding success of their debut album, Hunting, Ernest Ellis & The Panamas have been busy working towards a second album. Their new track, Great Sky, is the first single from the LP – set for release in September 2011. Ellis once again fronts up with his amazing vocals and guitar, and is joined by the Panamas, consisting of Ben Morgan (bass/vocals/guitar), Matthew Gardner (drums/vocals), Russell W (keys) and Thom McAlister (guitar).
Opening with a heavy drumbeat and eerie harmonies, Great Sky has an almost otherworldly feel to it, driven predominantly by Ellis’ constrained vocal range. It’s undoubtedly an epic, and maintains a building sense of drama throughout – the perfect accompaniment to the cinematic film clip released with the track (http://vimeo.com/26149347 for a look).
The track almost immediately reminded me of something we would see from the likes of The Flaming Lips – it’s all about the contrast between the delivery and content of the lyrics. The song is for the most part optimistic – but Ellis’ near-monotony would suggest otherwise. In my eyes there could be no better track than Great Sky to pre-empt their next release.
A really great track from the band, and a sure sign of more great things to come. Keep an eye out for the next album from Ernest Ellis & The Panamas, which is due out this September.