If you got on the Lorde bandwagon a little too late to feel proud about your A&R skills as a music connoisseur, then this is your chance for redemption. Thomston is a new name coming out of Auckland, New Zealand, and his music is about as polished as you could possibly hope from an artist you've never heard of before. His debut EP, School Night, circles around relatively pedestrian subject matters, but his lyrical dexterity and the pristine production work combine to make some of the crispest, minimalist-pop out there right now. What could have easily been a mundane five-track EP is actually a hit in the making, and tracks like "School Night" and "Sociable" are an insightful celebration of what defines kids his age these days. This isn't some bloated album-length track list, so you really have no excuse not to enjoy the project in it's entirety, but there's something to be said for the chillingly awesome acapella intro to "School Night", as well as the downtempo pacing in "Closure" that's reminiscent of something The Weeknd would put out. The EP is free, so this just may be the deal of the year, and if you're digging Thomston's sound, then keep your eyes peeled for more, 'cause with a freshmen effort of this caliber, you can almost be certain he'll be back with more. [via P&P]
Thomston