Here we have another 20-something British singer-songwriter – lauded to the hilt, BRIT award-winning and all the rest. But – and by Christ there's a "but" – Tom Odell ain't half tepid, mum. His highly anticipated debut starts off well enough: Grow Old With Me and Hold Me reveal he is a fine belter of a vocalist, but as subsequent songs pass by, you are all too quickly transported to the Land of Singer-Songwriter-Nod. Vapid tunes such as Till I Lost, Another Love, Sense and the title track betray their obvious influences (Elton John, Billy Joel) without in any way trying to add to or alter them. On the face of it, you've got a high achiever (occasionally helped out via co-writes with real-pro songwriters Eg White and Andy Burrows); the reality is that Odell – for the moment, anyway – simply doesn't match his aspirations with ability.
tomodell.com
Download: Grow Old With Me