Miserable Tom McRae? Back to regale us with more twinkling tales of woe? Not this time, as McRae attempts to shake off the downbeat vibe with which he has been associated, and has released the first single from his recent album King of Cards.
Essex born singer-songwriter McRae has been a long standing member of the Indie-Lite crooner-moaner brigade, inspiring many of said brigade with his first Mercury nominated release in 2001. Since then however, he has been somewhat sidelined. While his brand of articulate song writing has become rather prolific of late, McRae appears to have been left behind by a scene he helped to form.
The single itself is an attempt from McRae to be sparklingly spirited and uptempo, despite his penchant for the melancholic and the sceptical. The sound itself should be no surprise to anyone familiar with his work, beginning with a plethora of clunky piano chords before rushing to a rather impassioned chorus. While this is all well and good, the overall effect is decidedly unmemorable and inoffensive. But then again, that is exactly what some people are looking for.