Bearing witness to the development of artist Thom Bullitt is truly a rewarding experience, as he releases his unique hybrid of raw guitar-centric rock ‘n’ roll, blues and pop with hip hop in his new single, “Ramblin’ Man,” the lead single from Bullitt’s upcoming album, The Cooler King 2.
As experienced in his multifaceted album, Roses, it feels as if emotion and passion is brimming at the seams in Thom Bullitt, as from the immediate strums and licks of the guitar, and the opening hook—”Ridin’ all along, on this long and lonely road, no cash in hand, I’m a ramblin’ man”—it feels as if a mixture of emotions are seeking their way from Bullitt’s heart out to the listener.
From the track’s outset, Bullitt opens with a brief outback-feel acoustic guitar-driven ostinato-strumming with two leading broken ascending chords, setting an open road scene aided by wide reverb and widely-spread vocals on the hook that masterfully carves its way in neural pathways to the heart in an instant. Moreover, Bullitt’s vocal bends that slightly off-pitch from the song’s key are performed with such conviction and consistency throughout the song, adding a wavy and nomadic vibe to the song’s feel.
The lyrics and vocals riskily head into rap territory in the verses, but Bullitt pulls it off with utter musical confidence. The hook’s shape plays throughout repetitively throughout, if not in segments of the vocal parts of the verses, then in the instrumentals that loop with additives and subtractives over the course of the song, and all elements operate harmoniously in order to sweep the listener into a fluctuating, unsteady, rolling and riding atmosphere, skillfully communicating Bullitt’s messages about heading out into unknown new domains.
Although cloaked in a rather pop structure, this is a song for those who have stepped outside their boundaries, who have entered a zone of danger as they head into uncharted domains all alone, looking for something more or different to what they had before.
The fusion of almost-opposed genres together with the wavering ups-and-downs throughout distinctively succeeds in passing on such sensations.
About Thom Bullitt: Born April 1, 1994 in Houston, Texas, Thomas Rodney Oates, Thom Bullitt was raised not on Hip-Hop, but Rock & Roll, Blues, and Pop. He moved to Oklahoma in 2004 which is when he discovered and fell in love with Hip-Hop. He began writing songs in high school and was even labelled “Most Likely To Move To Houston And Become A Rapper” by his classmates. He began recording his own Hip-Hop songs shortly after graduating high school in 2012, and released his first full-length EP in December 2015 titled ‘The Cooler King’ under the moniker Thom Bullitt. He would go on to release 2 more EPs – Bricktown Nights & NIGHTRIDER – under this moniker before taking a 2 year hiatus from 2017-2019 to rediscover himself and return to music as Papillon – the French translation of butterfly, which he deemed fitting based on his mental and physical growth and self-comfort. He released his first EP as Papillon in September of 2019 titled Roses, which features a more Country Rock influence than his previous endeavors. During his career, he would become one half of the Oklahoma City based group Bacardi Gang, and still carries that mantle today along with his own lifestyle brand ILLNEZZ – accompanied by the catchphrase LIVIN IT. Returning to his Thom Bullitt moniker, he continues striving to make good music on a regular basis.
Stream Thom Bullitt’s “Ramblin’ Man”:
Follow Thom Bullitt on Instagram: @thombullitt
Purchase Thom Bullitt’s music/merch: illnezz.bandcamp.com
Thom Bullitt’s music is available for streaming on all major streaming services (Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, TikTok, etc.)
