In what’s already being dubbed one of the best of ’10 by Halifax music blog Herohill Kris Ellestad is streaming No Man is Land for the month of November on his Bandcamp page . And while its perhaps presumptuous to call it one of the best of the year — fervent listmakers take note there aren’t any formal release details yet and it may see the pressing plant next spring — it could very well one of the best of ’11. Listen we’ll talk this time next year.
Pinpointing a sound at this point is difficult as Ellestad has a range that will likely require plenty of time to digest. But here an exercise in futility: "Run Me Down" is a rickety piano-driven waltz that recalls the spookiness of say Taylor Kirk (though Timber Timbre probably couldn’t pull of accordion this well); "Moon in the Trees"’s sparse arrangements place a focus on its immediately memorable harmonized howl; elsewhere the hard-strummed "In the Meantime" is an upbeat offering with its call-and-response "fuck you"s showcasing Ellestad’s sunnier edges.
Indeed No Man is Land displays Ellestad’s songwriting flexibility; despite its song-to-song mood swings the album never feels scatterbrained. And that’s what Herohill got right: This could very have some staying power. Again stream the album via his Bandcamp page . Or Last.fm if you’d prefer. Grab the free downloads of his 2008 EP Hibernation and 2006’s Third Person too.
