Album Review: Tom Grennan – 'Evering Road'

Tom Grennan’s sophomore album kicks into life with ‘If Only’, a tune thick with choral arrangements, jazz elements and the singer’s characteristic growl. From there, Evering Road – named for the East London street where Grennan lived with his ex-girlfriend – develops into an honest exploration of love, heartbreak and redemption.

Despite the powerhouse sounds and punchy hooks, this is most definitely a break-up album, with the deeply personal songs playing out in almost diaristic detail. The radio-ready ‘Amen’, for example, is a defiant tune about a raging internal battle. Elsewhere, the Ella Henderson-assisted ‘Let’s Go Home Together’, and the gentle-but-mournful ‘It Hurts’, juxtapose a relationship’s honeymoon phase with the subsequent heartache.

Throughout the record, Grennan’s gritty vocals are a notable highlight. While elements of Evering Road might be characterised by some as middle-of-the-road, the singer’s Dermot Kennedy-style rasp is never less than hugely compelling.

Out now, 7/10.