T Truman, Born To Be Right
Self-Release
2020 has (rightfully) seen the music scene saturated with angry, reactive music that condemns the nightmare around us – some prophetic, some anthemic, some unflinching and some despondent. But the other, more pleasant side of the coin is that 2020 has confirmed the necessity of music as a refuge from the swirling worldly chaos – and T Truman’s debut EP Born To Be Right is a shining example of a gloriously fun half hour of escapism.
T Truman, otherwise known as Timothy Lanham of The Vaccines and Vaccines breakout stars Halloweens with bandmate Justin Hayward-Young, is undoubtedly a talent to be reckoned with. From his keys in The Vaccines forming the backbone for their uniquely brilliant rock’n’rolling indie, all the way to the spotlight that shines on him in T Truman, he’s got a knack for perfectly pitching his tunes to suit his mood. T Truman, as a project, is Lanham’s creative retreat – it’s just him, a sparkling sense of humour, and a keyboard, and it makes for a delightful listen.
T Truman (the character) is a self-proclaimed overly-self-assured “piano wizard” lamenting the death of a music scene who could truly appreciate him, and this is a concept that has germinated into an EP that’s witty, tongue-in-cheek, and cinematically indulgent. Best exhibited in the soaring elegance of Rock’n’Roll, the EP’s greatest lament, and swaggering title track Born To Be Right, T Truman commands his piano with rock-star flair, and just the right amount of oscillating self-deprecation and ironic arrogance.
Born To Be Right is an EP that’s itself born to entertain – T Truman is an entertainer, and the tunes he’s put together couldn’t exhibit this more plainly. Holiday might be one of the EP’s most laidback moments, but as the lead single it was a light and breezy intro to the humorous melodrama of Born To Be Right. Loretta is a high point (though it’s hard to pick a high point out of just five tracks!), and it’s easy to picture a barstool spectator catching it from Australia’s best-kept secret rocking out at the piano.
The piano is, naturally, the EP’s centrepoint, but T Truman doesn’t hesitate to build his sound out with magnificently constructed soundscapes – Born To Be Right shimmers with strings and sparkling effects. T Trumans’ lyrical flow is groovy, easygoing and perfectly matched to the whine of 70s guitars it slips oh-so-naturally into. It’s not all bangers all the time though – reflective closer Some Party taps into the melancholic side of the piano sound, a moody melody kicking the tune off before accompanying a hazy lament to ‘last night’. 7th chords and more of the sharp rhymes we heard in Loretta prove that whether T Truman is upbeat or down, he’s got a knack for it all.
The world of T Truman is so inviting, because it’s so complete – one man, his piano, and all the entertainment you could need. Of course, that’s a huge simplification of the huge sound that T Truman’s grown from the heart; Born To Be Right, as T Truman states on Some Parties, plays by its own rules and that’s why it’s so charming. The mission of the piano wizard is complete – rock’n’roll ain’t dead, it lives in Born To Be Right.
Born To Be Right is out October 7th.
