Thomas Headon and the Empathic Euphoria of 'The Greatest Hits'
Chances are the name Thomas Headon is a name you will be hearing plenty from and seeing a lot of in the years to come. The London-born, Australia-raised artist has quietly been amassing an avid following byway of YouTube covers, and with the release of his debut EP that quiet buzz is looking to evolve into an outright avalanche.
The Greatest Hits may be as lofty and lighthearted a title as they come, but there is a sincere emotional undercurrent that propels Headon towards a praise-worthy debut. Formed around the emotional swell and fallout of a relationship, the rising 19-year-old delivers a melodic acumen and sense of honest songwriting that regularly belies his age.
Opening on "Next to Me," we are welcomed to a kaleidoscopic world of sights and sounds that build the foundation of what is to come. Headon's vocals cautiously enter the fray as twinkles of production slowly bubble to the fray, creating a soundscape that exists somewhere between reality and daydream. The ethereal nature of the introduction quickly picks up pace as the EP progresses, stepping into line with his nearest UK cohorts, evoking comparisons to the soul and jazz pop accents of Rex Orange County.
However, what separates Headon, and in turn, The Greatest Hits, from being limited solely to simple kneejerk classifications and comparisons is the way he instills himself in each and every track. "Clean Me Up" and its blissful symphony of orchestration tells a story of growing dependency, while the closing acoustic track "Her" sees Headon bearing his heart on his sleeve for the world to see. The rising UK artist spoke further on his debut EP, sharing,
“Every song on this EP is as blunt and out in the open as I can be with what it’s about, mostly just a specific person who I had a connection with at the time I wrote it. Together it’s all kinda formed into a little sad diary of my girl problems, being that I didn’t write these songs ‘as a project’ but more wrote them as they came out of me and have now just formed it into a reflection of the period in which it was written. 'Butterflies’ was my overall 'I am content' point, not just of the situation but with the EP itself too, I think it ties it all together, somehow.”
The Greatest Hits may very well be the first of many to come for Headon. His clear knack for euphoric songwriting paired with his empathic storytelling-like approach paints him as an artist that is undeniably one to watch.
Listen to The Greatest Hits below:
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