Late October, not only did Tom Odell release his new album, but I also got to see a lot of it performed live (go check that review out), and it was amazing. Similar to Zella Day's no skip album 'Sunday in Heaven', Odell's 'Best Day of my Life' is on a different side of the exact same coin.
With extremely successful singles released prior to the album, the fans were awaiting the album more and more every day. What I love about Tom is that he has stuck absolutely true to himself from the very beginning, with his aesthetic, vibe and story of an acoustic music piano playing vocalist with beautiful lyricism and soft and sad songs. This is ever present in 'Best Day of my Life'.
One thing that is slightly different to his older albums is that this one is less full of heartbreak and more full of intense healthy love, and arguably this could be down to Odell's more recent, public and content relationship with his new girlfriend. Whatever has been the cause, to see the growth and change, although subtle, has been exactly what he's needed for his music.
As I mentioned in my review for seeing Tom Odell live, he was as beautiful as ever, his vocals exactly as they sound on his records and joined by a choir that only helped his vision peer through stunningly. Very different to a lot of the high tempo upbeat hectic and dance-y gigs I go to, but one that equally felt right and for me, now even more connected to his music.
The album ventures through many different passages of love; new love, reconciliation love, homely love, and more. Tom Odell seems to come through as a vessel that has lived many loves, not even in this life time, and the lyricism shows that.
My favourite songs have to be Empty and Just Another Thing We Don't Talk About, songs about fighting with yourself and the avoidance that can occur in the most loving of relationships. As always, Odell provided something genuine, beautiful, and real, and it is a must listen.