Long Way Down

Editors’ Notes After a BRIT Critics’ Choice Award and a handful of well-received singles, Tom Odell released his first full-length record, Long Way Down—a dazzling showcase of the young singer/songwriter’s musical talent that debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. album chart. With a mix of stirring vocals and impassioned piano playing, the 22-year-old Odell digs deeply into his tortuous relationships, conveying both early euphoria (“Grow Old With Me”) and inevitable heartbreak (“Supposed To Be”) with disarming honesty. As mesmerizing as he is on haunted tracks like “Another Love”—his regret boiling to a furious crescendo he can barely contain—songs like “Till I Lost” show he can also belt out a sweeping chorus with a flair worthy of Coldplay’s Chris Martin. Yet even at its most quiet and introspective, Odell’s voice is one you can’t turn away from.