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London-based alternative pop auteur Tom O C Wilson releases his new single “Better Off” on May 2nd, with guest vocals from Australian singer songwriter The Magic Lantern. This is the fourth in a series of singles from Tom O C Wilson featuring rotating guest vocalists, while Tom handles songwriting and arrangements.

Where previous songs had a leftfield indie pop sound, Better Off is more electronic, built around jarring dissonances and abstract synth sounds inspired by Tom’s appreciation for artists such as Low, Portishead, M.I.A., and Northwest.

The choice of The Magic Lantern as guest vocalist for Tom’s most electronic song to date feels unusual at first glance. Jamie’s own music is acoustic and warm, and his beautifully humane voice makes a marked contrast to the song’s disembodied musical arrangement.

Yet it is precisely this playing against type that Tom wanted. The lyrics describe a set of mixed feelings occurring after an unspecified trauma, with the narrator trying to reassure himself that it is a positive change. This ambiguity is mirrored in the music, at once unsettling and consoling, with a beautiful vocal melody that sounds like a lullaby to the self.  

It’s a bold move typical of Tom’s unique approach - nostalgic for the craft and quality of classic pop, while always searching for new sounds to embody the most complex of human emotions. 

https://linktr.ee/tomocwilson
tom@tomocwilson.com

Tom O C Wilson - Better Off (feat. The Magic Lantern)

Tom O C Wilson - Armchair (feat. Duncan Wallis)

The Ones

Tom O C Wilson is a London-based creator of colourful, exuberant pop music. His songs hit the sweet spot between melodic immediacy and surprise, creating an exhilarating sonic pleasure reminiscent of artists such as XTC, Joe Jackson and early Prefab Sprout.

Tom O C Wilson

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