Multi-platinum-selling singer-songwriter Tom Odell has found beauty in embracing the uncomfortable with ‘Black Friday’, his revelatory sixth studio album. It takes guts to lay everything on the line and whilst he is no stranger to candid lyricism, with ‘Black Friday’, he takes it to the next level serving up his musings on the complexity of love and relationships.
Whilst there’s no denying the potent emotion that accompanies the 13 tracks (one of which is described as a voice note, but intriguingly cuts off mid flow), at times it feels a little bit too downbeat. ‘Black Friday’ is raw, sombre and haunting, but it is also profound and the themes of loss, anxiety, nostalgia and the fragility of connection will resonate with everyone on different levels.
With eclectic inspirations as far ranging from poet William Blake to Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, it’s admirable that Odell is digging deep both in an artistic and emotional sense.
The titular track which went viral on TikTok viral is one of the strongest tracks on the album and sets it the tone for Tom’s new artistic chapter. This sombre acoustic ballad is a raw and emotional masterpiece and sees Tom self-deprecating about himself “I wanna be perfect like all your other friends” as well as musing about the complexities of relationships and how we can second-guess relationships.
His sincerity and storytelling elevates ‘The End of Summer’ which sees Tom Odell tenderly navigating his way around the transitory nature of a past relationship. Contemplating how he ‘Can’t believe I used to get to kiss you’ sees him world-weary and rueful (using the metaphors of the season to explore the cycle of a relationship ending), but towards the end there’s hope as celebrated with the line ‘I’m golden, like the autumn leaves’.
The closing track ‘The End’ is another highlight, and this captivating piano-led ballad tells the tale of his ongoing relationship with alcohol ‘I was twenty days clean yesterday / Got a key ring if I make it through to May’ which sees Tom reminiscing about a past relationship asking the question ‘Can we talk? Is that okay? / If you’ve got time, I know a place’.
‘Black Friday’ takes both Tom as a narrator and his listeners on an emotional and intimate journey. There are enthralling moments, but there are also times where it feels a bit too melancholy and a smidge lacklustre, but Odell’s strengths are in his subtle and intimate delivery along with his introspective and emotive songwriting.
7/10
Words: Emma Harrison
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