If there’s a name you will want to know in the 2013 music scene it’s Tom Odell.
If there’s a name you will want to know in the 2013 music scene it’s Tom Odell. The 23-year-old British singer-songwriter has already started paving his road to success with an appearance on Later…With Jools Holland as well as his song, Another Love, being used by the BBC to advertise their 2013 upcoming highlights. To top it off he’s been nominated for a BRIT Critics’ Choice Award and the BBC Sound of 2013. Not bad for a lad from Chichester.
Tom’s debut EP, Songs from Another Love, was released late last year and it suggests he will go on to be a force to be reckoned with on the singer-songwriter scene. The piano intro on the opening track, Another Love, is intricate and immediately inviting. Tom’s voice has the miraculous ability of being able to channel a rich tone into a delicate sound. Another Love is a well thought out, dynamic and emotional song that plays with contrasting volumes and pitches to really pack a punch.
Sense is a beautifully delicate song that is well placed after its vibrant predecessor on the EP. The vocal remains subtle while expressing deep emotion. The lyrics on this track, and indeed the whole EP, manage to stay on the right side of the thin line between clever and pretentious.
Can’t Pretend is a haunting and atmospheric track which slowly crescendos to its dramatic and cleverly synthesized climax. Tom undeniably has a distinctive style, reliant on a piano accompaniment and plodding drums. This is a track you will definitely want in your playlist.
The final song on the EP, Stay Tonight, is a demo track and is therefore much less synthesized than the others. It’s refreshing to hear a song with an acoustic guitar accompaniment after the frequent use of piano. The raw quality of Stay Tonight is fantastic and we can feel real emotion in Tom’s dynamic vocal.
Songs from Another Love is an invigorating and expressive collection of well-written and cleverly orchestrated songs. Tom’s debut album, Long Way Down, is scheduled for release on the 17th of June. If this EP is anything to go by, I reckon it will be one of the albums of the year.
What’s your take on Tom Odell’s EP? Have your say in the comments section below, on Facebook or on Twitter.
