SOUND JUDGEMENT

The latest album releases reviewed

BLACK FRIDAY Tom Odell

★★★★★ The latest album from British artist Tom Odell packs a punch.

Black Friday is a wonderfully produced record, loaded with ballads that will appeal to the broken-hearted.

The hauntingly beautiful title track sees Odell pair piano chords with soft-sounding guitar strums, which build into a divine explosion of strings and keys.

In between the tracks are orchestral interludes that convey the anxiety outlined in Odell’s lyrics, with ballads like Somebody Else also helping to weave a narrative of heart-wrenching candour.

All in all, the record is melancholic and brooding and forms some of Odell’s best work yet.

BITTER SWEET LOVE

James Arthur ★★★★✩

James Arthur is back with his fifth album and it is not for the faint of heart.

From the opening title track right until Homecoming, the former X Factor winner takes you on an emotional rollercoaster, delving into the intricacies of relationships and heartbreak as well as selfdiscovery.

Arthur offsets the darker elements of his album with upbeat melodies and evocative vocals, such as within the song Comeback Kid where he focuses on a relationship and how much its helped him grow as a person.

Overall, Bitter Sweet Love demonstrates a huge evolution in his music. With six singles already released and millions of Spotify streams, this album promises to be one that listeners don’t want to miss out on.

DARK RAINBOW

Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes ★★★★✩ Frank Carter continues his journey from hardcore punk to arena rock on his fifth album with the Rattlesnakes.

Dark Rainbow sounds machinetooled for mass singalongs at festivals, packed with more hooks than an angling competition.

Dark Rainbow may embrace rock, but first single Man Of The Year questions the clichés and contrived glamour that comes with it.

Also a tattoo artist, Carter is about to lead the Rattlesnakes on their biggest tour yet, as they ink their name into the rock firmament.