Ollie Twohill – Boots (2021)

Influenced by the likes of Green Day, Avril Lavigne, Blink 182 and Foo Fighters, one would assume singer-songwriter Ollie Twohill to have a pop-rock meets pop-punk sound. The thing is your assumption would be somewhat wrong. While there is a thread of the iconic 90s pop-rock style, Twohill is more in line with Mumford & Sons. Another thing is that his music can be described but he is definitely undefinable in his unique obscurity – does that make sense?

Performing professionally for the last five years (give or take), Ollie Twohill is a known face in the Australian music scene; however, his skills are not heard in Australia alone. Covered by radio stations in the US, UK and Canada, the multi-instrumentalist is building an international following. The latest addition to his well-received discography is the single ‘Boots’.

Following his track ‘Mr Nightowl’, ‘Boots’ showcases Twohill’s diversity with a shift to more folk-rock-influenced sounds – think Mumford & Sons. Toe-tapping and infectious, ‘Boots’ is one of those songs that you can boogie to at any time of day. Smooth with a flowing melody, Twohill pushes you along a sonic river; however, the smoothness is interrupted with abrupt instrumentation and lyrics adding some edge to the song.

Yes, the melodic arrangement is interesting with well-placed elements, but this is not what turns my head. As I mentioned, ‘Boots’ is toe-tapping and that’s great, however, it is Twohill’s vocals that really captivate me. Bold and powerful with a slight gruffness, his vocal tone slithers into your brain and makes you giddy with delight. I guess the slight Australian lilt also contributes to its hypnotic quality adding further “edginess” to the track.

Touching on topics like “life choices and pursuing your dreams…”, ‘Boots’ is all about empowerment, bravery and taking the world on with a determined grin. When speaking about ‘Boots’ Twohill shares that “…we all have periods of self-doubt particularly over the past 18 months with Covid. ‘Boots’ is about overcoming your reservations and making the first steps in achieving your goals. It’s all about having a crack and pursuing your dreams with no regrets.”

For more from Ollie Twohill check out his official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.