Tom McRae spills blood-like dispositions

Art and mind alteration: not having been overtly touched by Tom McRae’s eponymous debut – raw acoustica rather abrasive on Eustachian – I find myself more than pleasantly surprised with the change that’s occurred since the maiden long-player. Perhaps the acclaim and modest success over the past couple of years have encouraged him to expend his ‘vocabulary’, or it was the producer, Ben Hiller (Blur, Elbow) that pushed few of his courage buttons?

Whatever the catalyst, ‘Just Like Blood’ finds McRae leaving his Nick Drake obsession to embark on a sonic discovery that reveals a very confident songwriter who’s not afraid to mix seemingly opposing elements to fashion something entirely different. For instance, the setting-off ‘A Day Like Today’ is a brilliant combination of ethnic feel (triggered by a sample of World Music’s CD ‘Chemetengure’) and a deeply peculiar rock-idoms that soar into an impressive sonic landmark.

There are also backward violins on ‘Walking2Hawaii’, computerized rhythm tracks on ‘Stronger Than Dirt’, layers of harps and strings, the Massive Attack-like morph of the opening track… Plus, some sad songs for the left-handled emotions. An immense variety of tracks to “nail you” down.

“For me, a song’s got to succeed in a way that no other art form can. It has to hit that transcendent moment. That’s what music is all about, getting that moment where you don’t know why you’re laughing or crying or dancing, but it’s nailed you and no-one knows how or what or why,” is McRae’s claim and you better believe it.

There are certain echoes of Coldplay-esque musical interplays but McRae’s vocals take care of that association PDQ. But it is not all beauty of expression or exploration of soul-depths but a just hardline look into the jaws of a monster called – living. Sombre, strong, clever, sincere and valiant. An audio seduction, perhaps.

If you are crap even at footie-fandom, feel that music is as dull as a limpy and you can’t control the speed of downward spiralling, then – read a classic or see ‘Adaptation’. Or lend your ears to McRae… There is plenty of culture outta (t)here!

8/10

Tour dates:

Sat 22 Feb – QMU, Glasgow
Sun 23 Feb – Northumbria Uni
Mon 24 Feb – Metropolitan Uni, Leeds
Thu 27 Feb – Manchester Uni
Fri 28 Feb – Wulfren, Wolverhampton
Sat 01 March – Concorde 2, Brighton
Sun 02 March – UEA, Norwich
Tue 04 March – Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth
Wed 05 March – Shepherd’s Bush Empire
Fri 07 March – Leadmill, Sheffield
Sat 08 March – Anson Rooms, Bristol
Fri 14 March – Bergen, Norway
Sat 15 March – Stavanger, Norway
Sun 16 March – Rockerfeller, Oslo, Norway