Melbourne-born, Sydney-based singer-songwriter and instrumentalist Jess Holt, aka total tommy, has announced her second studio album, Trapezoid, set for release on October 23rd via Play It Again Sam. Alongside the announcement, she has shared the record’s title track, an empowering release about accepting imperfection and embracing life’s off-kilter moments.
The title track serves as the thematic anchor for the whole project, drawing its name from both geometry and human anatomy. Speaking on the concept behind the single, Holt explains:
“Trapezoid is the title track of my album and was the song that unlocked the entire theme of the record. I love the double meaning of the word. Anatomically, it’s the smallest bone in the hand, and without it we wouldn’t have grip or dexterity. The smaller things make up the bigger picture kinda thing. It’s also a shape, parallel but tilted. I’ve always been meticulous with symmetry and things being perfect, but have slowly learnt to let go in the last year or so. I’m leaning into the off-kilter, and trying to let go a little more. For me personally, this meant accepting the things that make me who I am, and not forcing myself to change them.”
The sophomore release marks a distinct evolution from the lighter, tender foundations of her debut album, bruises, stepping firmly into bolder, guitar-heavy territory. Drawing inspiration from grunge, emo, post-punk, pop-punk, and electronic-tinged textures on tracks like “Bloodshot,” Trapezoid captures an album in transit, rich with nostalgia, 90s cinema references, and Winona Ryder adoration. The progression builds toward a fiery climax on album closer “Tailgate,” which Holt describes as a deliberate, screaming-in-your-face crescendo that contrasts the softer wind-down of her debut.
Following critical acclaim from the likes of NME, i-D, DIY, Clash, Dork, and The Line Of Best Fit, alongside steady radio rotation on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 6Music, Trapezoid cements total tommy as a versatile, powerful force in alternative rock. The new single “Trapezoid” is available on all major streaming platforms today ahead of the full album release on October 23rd.
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