Self-taught on the piano from the age of four and then later by taking formal lessons to further her vocal work, Ontario's Megan Bonnell has pretty much been grooming herself to be the talented songstress her first LP Chase And Hunt showcases. Using minimal tools (mainly her voice, piano and gently strummed guitars), Bonnell goes the graceful and mature route here, on some very well thought out tracks.

The youngster starts with one of her greatest strengths: those extremely husky, smoky pipes, and she opens “Coming Home” with a deep exhalation of singing while the calm guitars twinkle. She employs a trick on this first tune that is consistent all the way through by backing her own voice, providing a doubling effect. “Found You” takes the dreamy cue from the lead off track and stays equally surreal, this time featuring elegant piano playing to back her strong vocals. Another pattern develops here, as Bonnell starts sparse before building into a fuller display of power and melody. This tactic repeats itself several times, most noteworthy on the playful “Off This World,” which starts like a ballad before brewing into a lush and ebullient finish.

There are a couple of anomalies, however. On “Stars,” Bonnell shows a more folksy side, and the title track “Hunt And Chase” is a busy, noisy, reckless rocker, the loudest and most abrasive she'll get on these 10 tunes. Bonnell has stated that it's always been just her and her piano, which there are plenty of, but quaint acoustic guitars often accompany her, too. On the album closer “This Is The Way For Us,” which is a soft acoustic strummer, Bonnell comes off like a younger Dolores O'Riordan (The Cranberries) in almost lullaby fashion.

Bonnell is an ideal artist for the adult contemporary crowd or indie rockers who secretly enjoy Tori Amos. No one could deny that Hunt And Chase is clearly a debut by an extremely talented musician and singer with a luminous career ahead of her.

Rating: B+

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