An albums name isn’t always indicative of its content; with such a great number of projects settling in favour of the self-title or a lead single serving as the first impression of its counterparts, it often becomes erroneous. Paul Thomas Saunders’ debut full-length is a wonderful exception to this observation.

With Beautiful Desolation, the Leeds-born, Atlantic-signee has put together a collection of emotional, ethereal and lofty tracks creating an experienced-sounding record that goes well beyond his relatively young years.

Haunting moments of violent imagery, such as “Appointment in Samarra”‘s “The blood is on your hands / bodies on the ground around us” and the “killing fields” referenced in both “Kawai Celeste” and the enchantingly touching “Good Women”, provide bursts of fear, contrasting to the inspiring drive of “In High Heels Burn It Down”. One of the lead singles to emerge from Beautiful Desolation, the latter is a stunning example of the powerful fabric of the record: waves of reverberating layers wash over you, while the linear structure and relentless drum beat bring to mind the epic results of The War On Drugs’ wonderful latest effort.

Beauty appears as well; “Wreckheads & The Female Form” – just one example of the imaginative song titles – incorporates glistening chimes and with its cooing “For you” refrain, it provides a bright, cooling spring morning to the record. “Starless State of the Moonless Barrow” feels bucolic too and offers a brilliant example of Saunders’ dreamy vocal: “You’re the defining light / You’re the relentless spark that keeps me holding onto yesterday’s sunrise” the gorgeous chorus explodes into life.

Pining romance and pathetic emptiness – “Hold me / you’re mine” – is central to beguiling final track “On Into The Night”, which sparkles along into bird song and a warm breeze of a heady outro. Indeed the natural theme is a recurring one, lyrically and sonically; the beauty and desolation of the world around us and the people in it feel at the heart of Beautiful Desolation.

“A Lunar Veteran’s Guide to Re-entry” echoes moments of Coldplay, developing organically out of a military metronome snare and reverb-heavy “woohs” into the epic crescendo; a thumping fist pump of track that uplifts and serves as one of the most anthemic moments.

Songwriting giants such as Radiohead and Jeff Buckley are names that have been flatteringly placed next to Saunders and, while it may not result in the pedestal-like of Grace and The Bends, it is a debut record that nods brilliantly to such exceptional company as well as pulling in kaleidoscopic, subtly psychedelic elements from the 60′s and early 70′s with dreamy, ethereal and thoroughly impressive results.