Better is first single from electronic pop artist Tommie, a teaser of what to expect from the forthcoming debut EP Bleach.
Providing a simple beat and repeated instrumental riffs, Better places all focus on the vocals on Tommie. While it appears a very basic song structure upon the first listen, when you listen closely, there are several layers that fly under the radar that add layers of depth and volume. The sparsely used male backing vocals and harmonizing layers of female vocals, combined with selective use of electronic samples creates ample variety in the track.
The vocal style has a nice grain to it, and while Tommie is more of a spoken singer than a projection singer in this single, it matches the laid-back pace of the track. The phasing, swing style of music gives a delayed effect, both instrumentally and vocally, and the track is reminiscent in feel to Shanks & Bigfoot’s Sweet Like Chocolate hit of the late 90’s
The standout feature of the track comes from the level choices, with a lot of variation in volume, boosting the sound between verses.
Better is relaxed and mellow overall, with pleasant harmonies. While it lacks a real hook to bring you back again and again, it’s inoffensive nature means no one would turn away if it was presented to them.
Review written by Alex Moulton
Tommie is a twenty-three-year-old producer-singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Inspired by the likes of Halsey and Banks, Tommie blends apathetic vocal lines over RnB & pop influenced synth tracks. Raised in the small city of Whangarei, she later moved to Auckland City to pursue a music career. In 2014 she began studying a degree in music, but later dropped out. Determined to stay and pursue her passions she began working at a local supermarket and moved into her Aunt’s garage. During this time Tommie’s songwriting began to draw more on her personal experiences. In 2015 she returned to study and began perfecting her sound. After the loss of a childhood friend she wrote Fire Walk, a song showcasing the empathetic rawness of her craft. This song along with two others, self recorded in her bedroom, were released on Soundcloud. Tommie soon gained recognition in the local music scene for her passive aggressive approach in her music. Performing intimate sets throughout Auckland and reaching over 4,000 streams on her Soundcloud, Tommie was soon on everybody’s radars.
In 2018 Tommie teamed up with producer Noema to work on her debut EP. Her first single Better was released in September of that year. The Tove Lo influenced dance track boasts of youthful rebellion carried out by a catchy bassline. The synths, an ode to the iconic sounds of the 80's. Better, soon gained over 44,000 streams, launching her onto the world stage.