Album Review: Tom West - Oncoming Clouds

Adelaide singer-songwriter Tom West makes music for the outdoors.

He croons in the resurgent high falsetto re-popularised by Scandinavian musics of late, sounding like he’s singing from the top of a mountain or the middle of a field. His lovely voice is then paired with warm folk instrumentation reminiscent of Fleet Foxes, albeit lacking some of the larger-scale ambition. The result is a gentle blend of melancholy and bittersweet love songs perfect for the wintertime. This is not only a well-timed release, but also an accomplished and assured debut from one of the country’s most melodic voices.