New Zealand crooner Thomston is one of the few artists out there who genuinely wears his beaten heart on his sleeve, but somehow never ever slips into overly mawkish territory. His recent material, 'Collarbones', for example, has fed into very personal areas and touched on themes close to his private live, and new track, 'brain-dead' is no different. The tingling pop beat is still there, but the now 20 year-old singer shows his ever-increasing maturity, putting a spell on us with sleek vocals and lyrics bemoaning a friend's (or lover's) lack of self-awareness and control. - DC