Photo: Press
Needless to say, the NME won't be on Tom Odell's Christmas card list. Nor is the music magazine popular with any of the Odell family right now, after his father phoned the publication's offices to complain about the 0/10 review given to Odell's debut album, Long Way Down.
However, Mr Odell should probably have taken a few minutes to relax before phoning the magazine, as it was less of a review and more a complete assassination of the Brit Award star - and the mainstream music industry. A vicious attack on a fledgling artist 'unfortunate' enough to have been tipped to follow in the multi-platinum footsteps of the likes of Emeli Sande, the biggest selling album artist of 2012.
"I wish I could say there’s a place in Hell reserved for Tom Odell. There’s not. Just loads more Brits," says the album reviewer, before awarding the album zero out of ten, declaring there is nothing of musical merit on the record.
"He’ll be all over 2013 like a virulent dose of musical syphilis, pounding and warbling away at every Papal election and Bradley Wiggins finishing line," he adds.
As bad as 'musical syphillis'? No. It would make a really nice present for your mum
The Tom Odell album is not rubbish. It's not brilliant, and won't be showing up in our end-of-year lists, but hardly deserves such an attention-seeking mauling from one of the UK's leading music publications.
The music industry needs Tom Odells in the same way it needs Emeli Sande, whether we like it or not. We could bang on until we are blue in the face about The Other Tribe, Jai Paul, Peace and countless other up and coming UK artists we love, but lets be honest - none of them are going to shift the quantities of albums Tom Odell will hopefully be moving with his debut.
The music industry won't survive on album sales from Palma Violets, Mikky Ekko or Icona Pop - at least not quite yet.
Watch the video for Tom Odell's 'Another Love' below
Artists such as Tom Odell keep the industry afloat as no one rushes to illegally download his debut album, since his audience tend to pick up their music with their weekly shopping in the supermarket. Sure, it's been marketed and produced to appeal to as mass as market as possible, but that audience exists and needs catering to. Tom Odell fans aren't scouring the internet every morning for the latest remixes and demos from bands starting up their bedrooms - some people just want a nice album to play while they are doing the ironing. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Without the likes Tom Odell in the mainstream, there would be no underground and nothing for bands to supposedly rally against. The continued success of 'bland' artists like Tom Odell or Emeli Sande keeps the music industry afloat financially and keeps thousands of people very happy indeed. Fortunately, most of those people don't read NME (or Gigwise for that matter), and won't be affected by such hostile reviews.
(FYI - the Tom Odell album? We give it 5/10)
