THE WORLD'S BEST NEW MUSIC

Emerging alongside contemporaries like Hiatus Kaiyote, Karate Boogaloo and Emma Donovan and the Putbacks, prolific Melbourne/Naarm songwriter, performer and co-producer Ella Thompson has become a defining voice in Australia’s vibrant independent music scene. Thompson spent years honing her craft, pushing song structures and mastering studio production with solo releases like Domino (2023) and Ripple on the Wing (2024). Inspired by trailblazing Australian soul icon Renée Geyer, as well as titans like Nina Simone, Curtis Mayfield, and writer Simone Weil, Thompson combines classic arrangements with lyrics that carry deep emotional resonance. Rooted in her supportive local creative community, she stands tall as an uncompromising songwriter dedicated to raw feeling, connection, and timeless musicality.

Recorded live-to-tape in rural Victoria and mixed by Daptone producer Wayne Gordon, Triumph and Sadness captures Thompson at the peak of her creative power. Opening the album with one of its centrepieces, "Promise To Keep" radiates romantic optimism, her lead vocals floating effortlessly above shimmering background vocals and taut backing. The period-inspired opening mood extends through "Parable" and "Make You Believe" but steers into distinctly contemporary Melbournian territory with "Beloved" and "My Weakness," By way of contrast, the down-tempo ballad "Change of Heart" pairs slinky falsetto vocals with triumphant horns and the bubbling intensity of "Dandelion," questions the risks of caring deeply in a numb world. 

Blending sweet ‘60s and ‘70s soul with sharp contemporary insights rooted in the musical community from which she has risen, Thompson delivers a profound, irresistible statement that, under the international umbrella of the Mr Bono label, looks likely to take her to a far wider audience.