Album: Tom Odell, Long Way Down (Columbia)
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.There was much amusement in the Twitterverse this week after Odell's father rang NME to complain about its 0/10 review of Long Way Down.
A shamelessly showy act by the magazine, pretending to still have teeth by tokenistically savaging a Heart FM-targeted artist while remaining safely sycophantic towards its core indie darlings. But, truth be told, Odell's debut barely deserves a higher mark.
The winsome, watery West Sussex singer-pianist rose to prominence in January when the music media, in one of those baffling, stop-the-world-I-want-to-get-off decisions which are increasingly common, chose to elect him Critic's Choice at the Brit Awards.
He specialises in staggeringly banal lyrics ("Grow old with me", "When you hold me in your arms I can feel your heart") delivered in an overwrought cry-baby warble, and song structures with big predictable sub-Keane, sub-Arcade Fire crescendos.
And his redundant, point-missing cover of Randy Newman's "I Think it's Going to Rain Today" recalls the line from Paul Calf's video diary, "I'd rather see Dave Lee Travis play Macbeth."
Long Way Down is professionally made, radio-friendly and pretty much a guaranteed commercial success. And it stinks.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments