Who could forget 2015 when Hozier went toe-to-toe with James Bay for the anthem of the year? I am trying to remember who won precisely, but both anthems are now somewhat iconic. That was the beginning of Hozier’s already lengthy career. We might not have heard of him until then, but he was in a band before and did several live performances as a backing vocalist, et cetera. His anthem, ‘Take Me to Church’, finally got him noticed. The whole album was good, and the songs performed live were quite celestial. According to an interview with Jools Holland, “Unreal Unearth”, his third studio album, is inspired by literature, such as Danté.
What I found somewhat surprising is Hozier has written only two songs on the record, and the rest are co-written. You would think Hozier wouldn’t find this necessary, as he has shown he is a great songwriter on many occasions. As you can imagine, the two he wrote are by far the best work on the album. One of them would be seen as controversial over here as it details how the Irish citizens suffered at the hands of Britain during the invasion. Particularly the holocaust, which is dressed as the “famine”. The track in question is called ‘Butchered Tongue’, and over this plucked acoustic tune, Hozier gives a fiery vocal delivery about the injustices. If you can’t handle sheer honesty in the song, then don’t listen. He doesn’t hold back. It was also refreshing to hear a Gaelige song that introduces the album—further stamping his Irish identity. The second, written by him, is towards the end of the album ‘Unknown/Nth’, an ethereal track riddled with metaphors.
Another of my standouts are songs I had earlier in the year when he performed on Later…with Jools Holland. ‘Eat Your Young’ is quite a disturbing track. Still, it has some fantastic guitar work by Hozier and then ‘Francesa’, a highly emotional track about someone dying of an incurable disease. The vocal delivery on both are raw and sung with absolute conviction. Hozier’s lyrics go from biblical references, to the outlandish naming of car parts. It is beyond insane as the record progresses. The biblical references kind of blend in with the whole Danté-inspired premise.
In the Spring edition of Later…with Jools Holland this year, Jools felt the album was eclectic, and Hozier agreed. Indeed, this record has funk, soul, Celtic, and rock, to name a few. As well as having co-writers, Hozier also did an indie-inspired track called ‘Damage Gets Done’ with Brandi Carlile. Then there is a jazz track, ‘All Things End’. You would be forgiven for detecting a metronome, but it is surprisingly finger clicks, complete with a gospel choir in the chorus.
It was disappointing to find Hozier acquired co-writers for this album, and you feel cheated knowing he did. Yes, co-writers can write, but they need help understanding the meaning of your songs. As mentioned earlier, Hozier, in his own right, is a great songwriter, so this decision seems odd. Hozier is known for writing passionately about things he is interested in or his life. I can only think the record label browbeat him into using co-writers because they would be able to stem his creativity on what can be controversial opinions. The real test is how they hold up live. Although the album might be slightly manic with the genre-hopping, I still find it quite a good listen.
Song recommendations: ‘Francesca’, ‘Butchered Tongue’. ‘De Selby Part 1’
It is no secret that I’m not too fond of Liam’s solo material and the fact he hangs onto yesterday. Oasis is done, and he should move on. All good artists evolve, but the lad who burst onto the scene sounding vocally like a blend of Ian Brown( Listen to the really early stuff, and he sounds almost identical) and Tim Burgess is still stuck in his ways and won’t move away from the Oasis sound. It also makes me laugh how he slags his brother off at every turn, even getting his little sheep ultra parka monkeys to pile on, then plays only the Oasis classics written by his brother. Liam has the likes of ‘Meaning of Soul’, ‘I’m Outta Time’, and ‘Songbird’, to name a few.
He is so nostalgic that at the venue where Oasis broke the attendance record in the 90s, he did it again as a solo artist and pulled in just over half of the attendance from 1996. You will recall he wore a white jumper to begin with before taking it off to reveal a white shirt. This time, he wore white again in the shape of a lightweight hooded jacket—however, this time with lightly tinted sunglasses on, if I recall correctly, a wet two nights.
Unfortunately, due to the abuse of his voice, the vocals are not as strong anymore. The last time we heard Liam sing with strong vocals was in 2001. As the “Heaven Chemistry’ tour of 2002/03 got to the halfway point, it was evident his vocals were going. He puts this down to how he delivered, but I have heard many vocalists who project their voice more, for example, Tom Jones, who also smokes and drinks as much as Liam did, and his vocals still remain strong. It appears to be an excuse, and he hides behind neglect.
Of course, as well as those craving for the return of Oasis due to them likely not being born or too young to attend, there were those from 1996 who returned. As you can imagine, the setlist was choc-full of iconic songs by his former band, and even some numbers like ‘Roll it Over’, which is relatively obscure.
I’ll give him his due on the performances; his vocals sounded better, but if I want to hear Oasis songs live, I will go on YouTube to watch them and remember I was fortunate enough to have seen them before their demise. Many asked me if I was planning on getting tickets for Knebworth Park last year, and I said, “If I want to see Oasis live, I’ll just go on YouTube’. I moved on from Oasis a long time ago. It’s time some of you did and let it remain with its legacy intact. Oasis did it all. This is different from the Stone Roses, who have unfinished business. If Oasis did return, it wouldn’t be the same. Oasis was a time and a place. Sorry if you missed it.
Song recommendations: ‘Champagne Supernova’, ‘Rock n Roll Star’, ‘Supersonic’
I had no idea who Cian Ducrot was, but when I heard him, I thought he was a cross between Dermot Kennedy, Lewis Capaldi, and Danny O’Donoaghue. The Cork native has been around since 2018, and this is his debut album, which saw the teaser ‘All for You’ reach 5 million streams to date and ‘I’ll be Waiting’ that top inside the top 20 of the singles chart over here.
The opener is none other than the title track, which is thought-provoking, to say the least. It also leads you to the concept of the record being about strong and damaged relationships and how, in both kinds, we mature and learn from them. His vocals, not only on this but throughout, with that unmistakable Cork lilt, have a soaring ache.
This album has been eagerly awaited, and you can tell he has invested a lot of time in the studio because it has taken him since his inception to release his debut. He had even promoted this before it was even released by supporting Ed Sheeran on tour, where he garnered more fans, and doing intimate gigs at the tail-end of June. As mentioned in the previous paragraph, the record takes you on a journey of how we can grow from situations, no matter how bad or good, and we can adapt to them accordingly.
Look at the lyrics to ‘I’ll be Waiting’:
If you ever wanna fall in love, if you ever wanna bet on us, if you ever wanna be my one, I’ll be waiting.
From these lyrics, you can see that Cian is talking personal where someone is hesitant about committing to a relationship with him, and even though he is doing his thing, he is open to a relationship if that specific individual is willing to commit.
‘Heaven’ is a highly emotional track, where he talks about his solid relationship with his brother. This piano ballad is accompanied by loving lyrics about how they will carry each other through thick and thin.
’Thank God You Stayed’ is another exquisite track exploring all the qualities and flaws of lovers in a relationship. There are also other highlights, which are deeply personal about his father and mother.
This album was a pleasure to listen to; I can only see him going from strength to strength. It’s going to be hard to improve on such an outstanding debut.
Song recommendations: ‘Heaven’, ’I’ll be Waiting’, ‘Victory’
I have heard so much hyperbole surrounding Travis Scott, and he has been featured on some songs by other artists/bands I am fond of. Unfortunately, this was utterly shit. I liked ‘Modern Jam’ because it resembled the hip-hop I heard in the 90s. It was nice and chill, and there was no autotune in sight. Unfortunately, be it Travis, or the collaborators, autotune was used excessively. I hate it. It ruins music and makes an album with so many songs unlistenable. Why do producers still like to incorporate it into the artist’s music? Please stop it. Stop listening to these little idiots, who do not even make music, but think it’s “Edgy” and “Cool” to listen to autotune music. It’s shit
I have decided to do a track-by-track review because it is the legends that are Blur. However, before I get to the review, I will introduce the band, as this is my debut review of them. They were formed in 1988 and initially named Circus before changing to Seymour. Damon Albarn was the sole member until bassist Alex James joined. Drummer Dave Rowntree followed in October before Damon recruited his childhood friend, who met when he moved to Colchester lead guitarist Graham Coxon. They then signed with Food Records in 1989. The label drew a host of names for the band as they were not keen on Seymour. They would decide on the name Blur.
They went on a UK tour in 1990 and released their debut single ‘She’s so High’, which reached 48th in the chart. For their following single, they worked with producer Stephen Street known for working with the Smiths and Morrissey, who the band were fans of. Stephen would produce the Stone Roses-esque ‘There’s No Other Way’, an instant hit with music fans and would peak at no.8 This would propel their status in the industry, but their third single ‘Bang’ was a total disaster peaking at no.24. Their label encouraged the band to keep the sound in line with the music coming out of Manchester at the time, dubbed Madchester. Their debut album, “Leisure”, came out in 1991 and charted at no.7.
Despite their mild success, they found themselves 60,000 pounds in debt and did a US tour in 1992 to clear their debt. They released their 4th single, ‘Popscene’, to promote the tour. It may only have charted at no.32, but the single would cement the Blur wall of sound we can still hear. The US tour was a bomb scare, with the members fighting and arguing.
When they returned, they worked on their second album, “Modern Life is Rubbish”, released in December, but then rejected by the label and wasn’t ready for release until May 1993. ‘For Tomorrow’ was 28th, and the record charted lower(15th)than their debut.
Their third album, “Parklife”, released the following year, got Blur the recognition they finally deserved. It helped that Oasis was being talked about and revived the Indie scene. For Blur, ‘Girls & Boys’ went in at no.5, their highest entry, but even better was “Parklife’, which became their maiden no.1 album. The band would win four awards at the 1995 Britannia Music Brit Awards.
The band would release “the Great Escape” the following year, which also went in at no.1, and they also went head-to-head with Oasis summer when they pitted their ‘Country House’ against the Mancunian’s ‘Roll with it’. Blur would beat Oasis to the no.1 single spot, and in the process, the media made up a bullshit ‘war” between the two bands, which saw fucking brainwashed idiots taking sides instead of appreciating both bands’ music.
Blur released their self-titled the following year, departing from the “Britpop” sound. Especially with the heavy rock song ‘Song 2’. Their first single, ‘Beetlebum’, a song that Noel Gallagher recently confessed that he thought was their best song and wished he had written.
Blur gave themselves a bit of a break and released “13” in 1999, which spawned the hits ‘Tender’, and ‘Coffee & TV’. “13” was yet another no.1 record. The next album would be in 2003 without their lead guitarist Graham Coxon and would be replaced by the Verve’s Simon Tong (Yes, his brother was the drummer for Bloc Party). “Think Tank” would also at chart no.1. There were several rumours in 2004-07 of the band working on extended plays, but these never happened, and without knowing it, the band disbanded.
They would reform in 2009 for a Hyde Park show, but it was Glastonbury, which would prove successful, and the fans hoped the band would stay together. They also headlined Oxegen and Tennents in the Park the same year. The band released their second greatest hits album after the successful reunion shows.
There would be several accolades and documentaries released before 2015 when the band announced they were back with their original lineup and released “the Magic Whip”, recorded in Hong Kong during a five-day visit in 2013. The band would hibernate after touring “the Magic Whip” until 2019 doing a special gig in London.
This brings us up to the present, where the band played EE Stadium, Wembley last month, and then played “the Ballad of Darren” in its entirety at AventimApollo last month. This will be the only time the new album will be played in its entirety live. The event was broadcasted online via a paywall, and of course, those who got tickets to witness it at the venue. Now, let’s get on with the review. I have given a long enough introduction to the band. I will also add that the album is named after their late security guard Darren “Smog” Evans:
the Ballad:
The opener begins with a drum machine that sounds tinny over minor keys and reflective vocals. This appears to be a hallmark of Damon’s solo material, but luckily for him and the listener, his bandmates from Blur are there to give the track more life akin to Blur. Graham Coxon especially rescues the song with his unique guitar playing and his backing vocals, then Alex James with his signature basslines. It is like Blur hasn’t had to shake off the rust of being absent from the studio for a decade.
St Charles Square:
For me, this track was the quintessential sound of Blur from the 90s and reminded me of tracks such as ‘Girls & Boys’ and ‘Charmless Man’. Again, Graham takes centre stage with his overdrive guitar tones.
Barbaric:
This is Damon putting the Gorillaz sound onto Blur. The subject, though, is not of the kind associated with the Gorillaz, as it is about a relationship falling apart and one of the lovers being hopeful yet bitter about it. However, they adopt something that Damon’s now friend Noel Gallagher is exceptionally good at blending melancholia lyrics over upbeat instrumentation. Staying with the Manchester thing, this track has an instrumentation that Morrissey and Johnny Marr excelled at within and outwit the Smiths. Graham Coxon’s intricate guitar playing gives the melancholia of Damon Albarn hope.
Russian Strings:
A more delicate side to the band, which sounds like ‘the End’ with overlaying guitars slow fading on the outro.
the Everglades:
So far, ‘St Charles Square’ is the only track that has resembled Blur’s 90s sound, and this track doesn’t give us a glimpse of it happening anytime soon. In fact, with the plodding acoustic guitar, this is more Simon and Garfunkel, complete with strings.
the Narcissist:
This was the track that everyone heard before the album was announced, and it was safe to say that it was an instant hit with their fans, but also music fans in general. Again, another track with melancholia but enveloped in 80s pop and 90s American Indie, so an example would be the kind of music associated with Pavement. There is also that tinny drum machine featured at the beginning of the record with Dave’s stomping drums to save the percussion element. Who wants to listen to a cheap drum machine without an actual drummer? This song is already featured in the band’s encores of their “the Ballad of Darren” tour, which shows that this track is already on its way to becoming a Blur classic.
Goodbye Albert:
Graham’s axemanship shines through as he blends aggressive with tender playing through the use of the pedal effects, so there is a lot of distortion. Alex hasn’t gone for his rapid playing on this, but rather a sense of delicacy with the bass. The lyrics delivered by Damon are him departing from his youth and entering into a more mature yet darker side of getting older. Also, as he confessed to Zane Lowe recently, he finds it difficult to sing the early Blur songs because his vocals were more youthful then, and now his vocals are a lot more bassy as he has got older. This song may be about Damon letting go of his youthful vocals and adopting the bass vocals he has acquired with age.
Far Away Island:
Damon has done many far-out projects outwith of Blur, and this one is a Brian Eno-esque experimental track. A psychedelic track over strings, with Damon adopting the vocals of a junior school kid. Will it go down well with the fans? Why not? Brian Eno makes far-out songs, but it works. You have to look at U2’s “the Joshua Tree” as a good example.
Avalon:
As we approach the end of the record, you can sense a more upbeat vibe as ‘Avalon’ opens with horns. The track itself hints towards uplifting moments, which is briefly interrupted by the sound of fighter jets ready to engage in aerial combat. The lyrics reflect the fighter jets in aerial combat, but there is a particular sinister lyric where Damon says, ‘Then I overdo my dose, and I don’t even know I’m here anymore’, which could also mean that the fighter jets are a metaphor for one taking an overdose to end their life. However, after that verse, Damon utters the line, ‘but the glass is still half-full. As mentioned earlier, the track, on the whole, is uplifting and full of optimism, then countered with the fighter jets sample. This could well be Damon feeling in turmoil about the future. I am unsure why he would feel this, as he is among the great songwriters.
the Heights:
A nod to the late David Bowie with an acoustic guitar at the intro that sounds like David’s tenure as Ziggy Stardust and the classic ‘Space Oddity’. Damon’s vocals follow. Then, of course, the rhythm section consisting of Alex and Dave brings the uplifting element. Graham had a backseat over this Sgt Pepper’s-esque track, or their counterparts Oasis who had the Beatles-esque ‘All Around the World’. Unfortunately, although they tried to element that exquisite sound of the Beatles, or Oasis, it didn’t work. The track has far too much going on, so it sounds like a mess. The band should have finished on ‘Avalon’. Yes, it had brief melancholic moments, but the rest was bombastic and uplifting.
Overall:
I will add an overall summary because you might look at the track-by-track review and think, “Fuck that. It sounds shit”. However, that is not the case at all. Yes, it is an experimental laced with Ziggy Stardust, Brian Eno, and Pink Floyd, but that adds to the mystery of Blur. They shouldn’t be known as an Indie outfit, but that is willing to evolve, and that’s the case here. I sincerely hope the band do not call it a day after the current tour because they are working as a unit in the studio and onstage. Damon and Graham have had strong chemistry since the band reformed in 2009, and the music is better for it.
Song recommendations: ‘St Charles Square’, ‘Avalon’, ‘Far Away Island’
I was looking forward to hearing this after “Big Conspiracy”, but it was utterly unlistenable. What would have been a great song with Jorja Smith was ruined by shitty autotune. I enjoyed three songs because none of them used autotune: ‘ Come Look’, ‘Cream’, and ‘It’s Crazy’. Very disappointing. That’s all I have to say.Roll on Blur next week.
Song recommendations: ‘Come Look’, ‘Cream’, ‘It’s Crazy’
Here is another instalment of Taylor reworking her original albums after…well., you already know from the last reviews she was being held to ransom over her masters and found a way around it thanks to her solicitor and someone asking permission to use one of her songs, from the originals on television. I have enjoyed what is known as “Taylor’s Version” because everything is better. The vocals, the matured vocal delivery, the production, the professionalism, and the overall clean audio.
The opener is ‘Mine’, and immediately the album catches my ears for how much cleaner it sounds compared to the original, and I like Taylor’s more mature delivery. There is no teenage angst. The reworks stand out more because Taylor has collaborations, and Hayley Williams from Paramore is on ‘Castles Crumbling”.One of my favourites is ‘When Emma Falls in Love’- a soft piano ballad with tender but heart-aching vocals.
As you know from the originals, there was a lot of pent-up anger in her vocals. Still, on the reworks, she has changed that with tenderness and empathy, which is clearly on display in ‘Ours’, and her vocal delivery is done with more meaning now on ‘Enchanted’ as the track arrives at the bridge. There are even lyric changes, as found on another of my favourites, the full-on rock attitude of ‘Better than Revenge’ where she changes the song’s perspective to make the male the antagonist, rather than the female who originally was where she was slut-shamed.
There is also a collaboration with Fall Out Boy on ‘Electric Touch’ where Taylor exchanges verse with Patrick Stump( Who also plays the guitar) before they sing the chorus together. There is room for the National’s Aaron Dessner to play multiple instruments across ten tracks. He also co-wrote ‘Electric Touch’ and ‘Foolish One’. The producer is, once again, Jack Antonoff, who made a mess of “Midnights” but gets the production on point this time. He plays multiple instruments on the record and even does some backing vocals.
I also enjoyed ‘Back to December’ and ‘Dear John’ simply for their vocal maturity. After all the shit she has been through with Scooter, you wouldn’t be surprised if her vocals displayed raw anger, but no, she has done these reworks like the mature songwriter she now is. Another thing worth mentioning on the above tracks is the new arrangements where Taylor can show more vocal diversity now. ‘Sparks Fly’ is the only track where Taylor could have improved. The rest of the album is brilliant, and I cannot recommend it enough. I love these “Taylor’s Version” and am only a fan of her country days. That speaks volumes to just how good they have been so far.
Song recommendations: ‘Better than Revenge’, ‘Dear John’, ‘When Emma Falls in Love’
I had heard of the name before but never listened to their tracks. A lady called Roxanne, who I speak to, is a fan. “Dead Club City” is their fourth album and the first time I listened to the band.
The record begins with the leading single, ‘Welcome to the DCC’, and straightaway, my ears prick up as I was not expecting a band with such a name to have a Jungle-esque track, let alone beginning to an album. I loved the feel-good groove to the opener; as I mentioned before, it reminded me of Jungle.
I thought this album would be all-out indie, but it is laced with disco, indie, rock and psychedelia. Elements of some of the songs had a Tame Impala feel to them. Then we have the Jungle-esque groove of ‘Keeping You Around’ and ‘Do You Love Me Yet?’. The latter has some mad guitar solo, which I unfortunately discovered was the outro, so the track fades out when the solo should have played until its conclusion. They missed a trick by not doing that.
There is even room for ballads on the record. The standout is ‘Green Eyes:: Siena’, where Conor Mason’s tender vocals accompany the acoustic. The lyrics are quite deep, too.
The album closes with ‘Pop the Balloon, an all-out assault on your ears for the majority, but then there is a complete drop in the tempo, which happens without any indication it is approaching. “Dead Club City” isn’t bad for my first introduction to the band. I know some purists may not like this diverse record, but honestly, it kept me interested, and I will now listen to more of their material in the future.
Song recommendations: ‘Do You Love Me Yet?’, ‘Welcome to the DCC’, ‘Pop the Balloon
The first I heard of Maisie Peters was a recent segment on television about her supporting Ed Sheeran. The 23-year-old signed with Atlantic after releasing two singles independently and released two EPs under Atlantic and the soundtrack for a British comedy series titled “Trying” for its second series.
In 2021, she left Atlantic and joined Ed Sheeran’s Gingerbread Man Records. This album is a joint venture with Gingerbread Man and Asylum. Her debut record was released Gingerbread Man titled “You Signed up for This”. Despite it not hitting the top spot, Ed has taken her on the road (As mentioned in the paragraph), so she is getting more exposure, and no doubt touring with Ed on his “Mathematics” tour has seen her sophomore album reach the acme.
I listened to “the Good Witch’ via her YouTube, and I thoroughly recommend watching the lyric videos to the tracks. The lyrics are displayed on what appears to me as tarot-like cards. And fuck me; the lyrics are fucking mind-blowing. She is a phenomenal songwriter. I wonder how someone who didn’t grow up in a town or city can write so much.
From the title track, I was immediately hooked by the absolute brilliance in her songwriting. How one talks about their rollercoaster emotions and keeps it interesting is mind-blowing. Aside from its lyrical brilliance, ‘Coming of Age’ is a three-minute pop song with panache and sets the tone for the rest of the record.
‘Watch’ is good regarding Maisie’s delivery, where she goes from melancholic to pure rage. ‘You’re Just a Boy (And I’m Kinda the Man) rips to shreds an ex, and she mocks him for good measure by professing she was “the man” in the relationship over a Katy Perry-esque dream-pop beat. Think Katy’s ‘Last Friday Night (TGIF)’. ‘Run’ is a mild drum n bass track, albeit under three minutes. I hope Hedex gets hold of it and adds a banging remix. ‘BSC’ stands for Bat Shit Crazy, and when you listen to the lyrics, it is hard not to laugh at the humour displayed by her, yet with a sincere delivery. I haven’t mentioned ‘the Band and I’ yet, which features early on in the record. Wow, oh, fucking wow. Amazing track with Ke$ha-like vocals where she tells in great detail about life on the road.
‘Two Weeks Ago’ is slightly confusing when you hear the chorus because instead of explaining her current mood, she declares, “God, I wish it was two weeks ago’. Her hooks on the album are extremely catchy, and the echoed lines will certainly be sung back at her on tour. The record ends with ‘There it Goes’, which is about letting go of love that is covered in snow. By this, she means that their love is cold and doomed to fail. I thoroughly enjoyed this record, which moves from dream-pop to ballad, to dance, to drum n bass, where she discusses relationships and breakups bluntly with the occasional sarcasm and humour. The album is also radio-friendly, with no one track over four minutes. It may be a short listen, but it works.
Song recommendations: ‘Run’, ‘the Band and I’, ‘You’re Just a Boy (And I’m Kinda the Man)’
Well, as you will recall, I had the pleasure of reviewing Tom’s previous album, “Evering Road”, which I enjoyed for his maturity and ability to show humility for all the things he had done wrong in past relationships. This time, he is back with “What ifs and Maybes”, which was tactically delayed to avoid a battle with Foo Fighters, and Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds—then postponed another week to avoid a fight with Niall Horan. This week, despite the competition, it was easier for Tom to take the top spot with his 80s-inspired album that echoes that of Abel Tesfaye, Coldplay, and Ellie Goulding of late.
The record opens with ‘How Does it Feel’, one of the teasers. It is an uplifting 80s synth-pop track that makes you want to dance. The second track, ‘Remind Me,’ is quite peculiar. I believe it’s a song about Tom’s forgetting lyrics when performing. Has this happened at all during performances? Tom fans, let me know. Also, what is apologising for? Something has happened in his life? Or forgetting lyrics during a performance? Going by “Evering Road”, I’d say the former.
My only complaint with the record, including on the Apple Music Edition, is that most tracks need to be longer. You get going with the uplifting melody, cancelling the melancholic lyrics, and then the song ends. I am trying to remember any song being over five minutes. The longest is over four minutes. Some might moan that melancholic lyrics over uplifting melodies don’t work, but it’s been done for centuries and is still being done. How anyone can take issue with it is a right miserable bastard who doesn’t understand that art is abstract. ‘Crown Your Love’ is one of the slower ballads where Tom brings melancholy lyrics with an optimistic delivery, and why not? Not every ballad has to have a vocal delivery that matches the nature of the lyrics. It is pretty refreshing. He also adopts this on ‘Here’. It was nice to hear Tom move on from “Evering Road” with a more uptempo album. I like his take on 80s synth-pop mixed with slow ballads and, of course, conscious lyrics.
If you listened to the Apple Music Edition, as I did, you will like the club banger ‘Lionheart(Fearless) featuring Joel Corry. I have heard it in a FIFA game or something. Anyway, it is uplifting club music. I gave the album 7/10 for the tracks being too short and that some sounded like they were put on the record to add more tracks. Some even sound like B-sides.
Song recommendations: ‘How Does it Feel’, ‘Lionheart(Fearless)’, ‘Crown Your Love’
Honest Opinions 