Tom Odell shot into
the limelight winning the Critic’s Choice Award at the Brits, which boasts previous
winners including Florence and the Machine, Emeli Sande and Adele. His highly
anticipated début album, Long Way Down, was released on the 24th
June and went straight to number 1 on the UK album chart.
The hype, however, has been met with mixed reviews. NME gave
Odell a particularly hard time, labelling the album as ‘offensively dull piano
pop destined for Brits ubiquity’ while others claimed that he was yet to prove
his range as a singer. These critical reviews suggest that Odell has some
ground to cover in order to make a real impact on British music.
Despite this, the album does have many redeeming qualities.
The sincerity of each song is clear and Tom’s voice is genuinely special. Comparisons
can be made to the likes of romantic singer/songwriter Jeff Buckley. Although Odell
seems to have the potential to match an iconic album such as ‘Grace’ in the
future, he still has work to do to in order to convince the critics and perfect
his sound.
The theme of the album is clearly heartbreak. If you are
looking for a song to get a bit emotional to, then you will definitely find one
to wallow in within this album. Don’t let that put you off too much though.
Even if you’re as happy as Larry you’ll be able to find a song to enjoy. As
sinister as it sounds, when Odell is in pain, at least we get great songs!
Long Way Down is a sombre but enjoyable trip into Odell’s
psyche. Despite the criticism received, Tom Odell is a fantastically talented
young lad and the album is still a rewarding listen.
Mark Haldon
Second single ‘Hold Me’ from Long Way Down
