AZIER, THOMAS - Rouge (Sealed) (LP)

Back in 2014 the dark and haunting over-the-top synthpop of THOMAS AZIER and his debut album Hylas became one of NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION‘s favourite albums of the year. After a certain break, the Dutch gentleman now finally shared new music with us. His second album Rouge is set for a release on May 12 via Polydor/ Island and it shows a new side of the charismatic musician. He started the comeback run with Talk To Me which was way more laidback and driven by a gentle piano melody. The second track Winners starts gentle but comes with quite an epic finale while the third single Gold is pretty solid four-to-the-floor material. AZIER thought it was time for a musical change and this one is a highly appreciated one. ‘I decided to break my patterns,’ he reveales in the press release, ‘whether it was living in the same city, writing the same songs or using the same sounds. When I know the next step, I feel it is time for change.’