Black Friday

Album review

In his sixth studio album, following the very minimalist Best Day of My Life in 2022, British singer, songwriter and pianist Tom Odell continues the mantra of "less is more." By limiting the production, he retains a raw, emotional sound and firmly brings the storytelling in this wintry, introspective record into the limelight. Opening tracks "Answer Phone" and "Black Friday" reestablish his signature "lessons in love" lyrics, while musical motifs of acoustic guitar and emotive strings—coming together most harmoniously in "Spinning"—distinguish Black Friday from the majority of Odell's discography where the piano seems almost like an extension of himself. Short instrumental tracks ("The Orchestra Tunes Up," "The Orchestra Takes Flight," "The Orchestra Is Feeling Tense") create a subplot of cinematic soundscaping that narrates the listener through the overall emotional arc of the record. When the orchestra is tense, Odell presents the most melancholy song of the album, rich in minor piano chords ("Nothing Hurts Like Love"), which is soon resolved in the final chapter, with a sense of conclusion echoed by the lyrics, "Do you think we can be friends?/ Or maybe we have reached the end." In all, a well told story from the beginning to "The End." © Ciara Rivers/Qobuz