Debut EPs can be hit-and-miss. Many artists take some time to develop a concrete, assured sound for themselves, hence their debut offerings can often lack direction. Blue Mountains-based singer-songwriter Oscar Thorburn, however, is not one of these artists.
Very quickly, Thorburn has developed a universe of music that’s distinctly his own; it’s simultaneously delicate and powerful; woozy and immediate; raw and refined. His debut EP Lost My Mind flaunts the kind of songwriting it’d take most artists years to establish. Here’s a hot tip from the Happy Mag team: don’t sleep on this artist, we’re expecting big things.
Oscar Thorburn’s Lost My Mind is the kind of debut offering artists dream of crafting; it’s well-refined and endlessly giving.
Across seven tracks, Oscar Thorburn weaves irresistibly soulful vocal melodies through instrumental arrangements that balance between earthy and heavenly tones. The EP’s two lead singles, 6422 and Burning Out, have undeniable sonic appeal, raking up over 100k Spotify plays between them. On these two opening tracks, Thorburn quickly establishes the explorative and ambitious nature of the EP.
The EP’s title track, Lost My Mind, is a hallucinatory whirlpool of indie-soul, sweeping you away with emotionally resonant lyricism and immersive textures. Patience is the EP’s slow-burning centrepiece, while Stay With You is a dreamy western-tinged number that builds steadily into something brilliantly disorientating.
When EP closer Don’t Fade eventually fades out of existence, you’ll be left with the lasting impression of Thorburn’s music.
If this debut EP is any indicator of what’s to come from Oscar Thorburn, we’re certain it’s going to be good. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait long to hear it.
For now, listen to Lost My Mind above.
