First came the BBC Sound of 2013 nomination, then came the Brits Critics' Choice Award shortly after. It's safe to say that Tom Odell is the man of the moment.
In fact, he's the first man to win the female dominated Critic's Choice award (following the likes of Emeli Sande, Jessie J and Adele), which may have more to do with his winning than the music (especially considering his rivals AlunaGeorge and Laura Mvula are far more distinct).
That's not to say that Odell isn't a worthy contender, as his EP 'Songs From Another Love' reveals. The comparison to Jeff Buckley's evocative troubadour songs is just, every crack in Odell's vocal imbued with heart-breaking darkness. There's a great influence of Chris Martin too, particularly the sliding vocal melodies of Sense accompanied solely by piano. Can't Pretend continues the Coldplay vibe, whilst the thrumming guitar of demo track Stay Tonight is similar to Ben Howard (the current top dog of the troubadour world).
It's the polished title track Another Love that stands out most though. Odell's voice whispers and breaks with alluring fragility, before powerfully soaring above the crescendo of piano and drums. It's a sound indebted to the past rather than heralding an exciting new fusion of styles, but Odell is certainly an accomplished talent. However, there will be plenty of hurdles in 2013 if he is to live up to his influences.
3/5
Listen: 'Songs From Another Love' is available now.
