Tom Odell has been hard at work in the studio lately. Having only released his latest album monsters in July last year, he’s already back with two new songs that will likely form the bedrock of his 5th album. The currently untitled body of work saw the release of “Best Day Of My Life” back in March, and now enjoys the arrival of new dreamily melancholic single “Sad Anymore”.
Taking to social media just a day or two before it’s release, Odell seems to be taking a more low-key and spontaneous approach to marketing his music, favouring a more direct form of communication with his fans rather than engaging the press. This tack typifies the artist he’s become over the years, far more culturally in tune than many of the artists that came up with him, Tom has his finger firmly on the pulse of new social trends as they emerge and keenly channels it back into the music he creates. Both “Best Day Of My Life” and “Sad Anymore” are great examples of this, with the latter coming in at a lengthy 1 minute 50 seconds by the time the last chord is struck, it epitomises the growing demand for short and engaging art as popularised by apps such as Tik Tok. Far from lazy, it’s actually a difficult nut to crack. “Sad Anymore” could easily be considered an interlude on Tom’s upcoming album rather than a single, and yet in releasing it he challenges the idea of what a conventional single is anymore, inviting the audience into a personal space so confessional they could be sitting in his living room.
Taking to Instagram the musician explained “Sometimes i go through periods where i feel sad. Sometimes i can hide it and people don’t notice, but other times it’s right there, in my every word, every look and i’m sure everyone can see.” If they couldn’t see it before, they certainly will now. Very sparing in lyrical content, it’s defining line “I don’t wanna be sad anymore” parades repetitively throughout the song like an earworm feasting on your tears. Odell sings in a hushed tone that manages to carry a great deal of emotional heft in the few words he provides. Delicately delivering a vocal reminiscent of the great Thom Yorke, he proves that less is more in a brave new release not catered for radio, but rather the millions of lonely internet souls that may need a shoulder to cry on.
You can catch Tom live in the UK this year at the shows below.
03/07/2022 – A Perfect Day featuring David Gray – Exeter
04/ 09 – De La Warr Pavilion – Bexhill On Sea
