Thorts is an emcee from Bunbury, Australia. He has been releasing music for a while, but he’s been especially prolific in the last few years. Just last year, he released short projects with Bobz Ya Uncle, Jack Vaul, DJ Silence, Joel Siméus, and Whatever Cecil. Now, in 2022, he’s teamed up with French Producer Haunted Days to release a full-length album on El Gran E Records, Hanky Man.

While the title of the album might be a bit of a mystery to American readers, if you make to the last track, which is also the title track, Thorts will make everything clear as he’s referring to his handkerchief, which he always keeps handy. To the overall sound of the album, Haunted Days is excellent at cooking up these beautiful and haunting downtempo tracks, ones that will stick with you more in the overall tone and feeling than anything else. There’s a lot of space to these tracks, which allows Thorts to take his time and clearly lay down his poetry on the mic. This style of production generally encourages Thorts to get introspective and rhyme about his family, his hopes and dreams, as well as his fears and doubts. As you make your way through the album, though, there is room for Thorts to get political, such as on the song “Les Ancêtres,” in which Thorts speaks to the xenophobia in his country, especially around refugee resettlement. There is also room to just talk some shit, such as when he’s joined by Chris Conde on the song “Chinwag.” There is plenty of room on the album for friends to come by and join in, with Jack Vaul, Kultar Ahluwalia, Montaag, Nolto, Witch’s Teat, HeirMAX, Scatty Stormborn, and Swab all adding some unique flavor. That said, you never lose the main thread, which is the chemistry between Haunted Days and Thorts.

Hanky Man is an introspective album, something to listen to on headphones as you go for a walk on a cloudy day, but it never veers too far into gloom or doom. It’s thoughtful, beautiful, and it finds just the right balance between melancholy and hope.