Tom Odell @ The Olympia Theatre – review

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Tuesday 1st November
Olympia Theatre, Dublin

Having released his debut album in 2013, Tom Odell has experienced three years of incredible success, both among music critics and the general public. Marketing himself as a simple English singer-songwriter with an affinity with the piano, Odell sells himself short in my eyes. Long Way Down features tracks that range from lyrically powerful ballads to heavier, quasi-rock sounds like “Till I Lost”. His second album, Wrong Crowd, released this year, has only extended his success and expanded his following. The European stint of his sold-out No Bad Days Tour kicked off in Dublin and Odell, along with his fans, was brimming with anticipation.

Odell started his set with his universally loved “Still Getting Used to Being on My Own” from his new album. The crowd, comprised of a mixture of 20 somethings and older couples, stood hushed and suspended by his voice. Then when the song swung around to a familiar chorus, we erupted in unison, attempting to sing those high notes that were undoubtedly beyond our reach. Between songs, Odell took his time to speak to the audience, and even produced a pint of Guinness half way through his show and guzzled it down on the spot to our applause.

Odell, like many indie English singer-songwriters today, engages with his audience through profound and often poignant lyrics. In an interview with HungerTV after the release of his debut album, Odell famously said that the fact that he cannot hold down a relationship for more than six months is the inspiration behind the words in his songs. During his set in the Olympia, the combination of his distinct voice, piano and heartbreaking verses, was all a little moving. At one point during a performance of “Sparrow”, Odell passionately sung “why sparrow why, won’t you tell me why I’m sad, sing us both a melody, the best that you can” and a girl next to me started clapping slowly and nodding her head in agreement.

Odell didn’t step a foot out of place during his show. His selection of songs moved seamlessly together and he validated the importance of live concerts when his band and himself began to playfully change melodies and tempos half-way through. The crowd lapped it all up, and the excitement in the theatre was a tangible presence. His final song of the encore was “Magnetised” in which he describes his infatuation with someone who doesn’t love him back. After a solemn opening two verses, the lighting brightened, the band exploded behind him and he stood on his piano. It was a special show, from Odell’s perspective and that of the crowd. He took a bow, swept his hair aside and descended backstage, hopefully to try another Guinness at a slower pace.

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