New Zealand, as we all know, is a breeding ground for talent, but we've come to learn this so, so well over the past few years. It's brought us the likes of Lorde, BROODS, GLADES, and many more, but, today, the spotlight is shines on Thomston. Thomston got his start like many artists do nowadays: releasing some really strong songs on his own, independently, and then an EP. It earned him loads of new fans, and, after addition EP releases and collaborations with the likes of Ta-ku and Wafia, he was able to gear up for his debut full-length. Amazingly, that debut, Topograph, is out today, and, though almost half the album songs are ones we've heard before, the rest that we're hearing are quite good. From the new tracks, we like "Headspace", a dark, acerbic, and soulful tune. It features the rich R&B harmonies that Thomston has locked. "Heart is Cement" is another favorite of ours, and it sounds like the companion piece to his previously released track, "Anaesthetic", though a bit softer (but equally powerful). If you're looking for a dash of nostalgia in today's musical landscape, look no further than the skittering, heartfelt "The Shortchange", which is very reminiscent of '90s R&B. So, despite the fact the album is padded by tracks we've heard already, Topograph is definitely still a strong debut and will continue to push Thomston to the forefront of male-led pop and R&B. Listen to our highlights from the project below, stream all of it on Spotify, and head over to iTunes to purchase the album if you'd like to do that as well.
Thomston