A foggy haze falls over the stage as Tom Odell takes his place at the piano. He quietly takes a sip of a rocks glass, instantly transporting the crowd to an old but familiar time. With just one song, the slow lull of the music crescendos into him belting, a glissando cascading on the piano like an old school blues rocker. Somehow, I had never heard of the 10-year career musician until “Another Love” went viral, and yet I’m standing with my jaw dropped at the utter talent in front of me.

With heart wrenching melodies and tear jerking lyrics, Tom Odell’s recent Nashville concert at 3rd and Lindsley was nothing short of absolutely show stopping. Coming up on 11 years of music making, Odell’s voice has a recognizable command that only a seasoned artist can muster. Whether it’s playing into crowd chants (somehow everyone confessed their love for Odell in a span of five minutes) or telling the story behind his new track “answer phone,” Odell is utterly comfortable on a quiet, almost bare stage. Many artists these days don’t leave a clear stage, with the focus nowadays on theatrics, but what a sight to see — just focusing on the captivating person right in front of you.

 

By starting the show with “Best Day of My Life” and ending it with “Another Love,” Odell was sure to appease his newer fans, but day-one fans got close to the stage singing every word to every song – even “noise,” which Odell himself forgot the lyrics to after the first verse. We were even graced by a soon-to-be released song called “answer phone,” which only means great things for Odell’s fans looking for new music. Luckily for me, the concert happened just two weeks after the release of “Black Friday,” which was captivating to watch live. Seeing Odell whisper “I want to be happy/ can you show me how it’s done” with such exacting emotion, and to culminate in the cathartic “I thought that you loved me/ What is happening to us” was indescribable. 

 

 

The acoustics of 3rd and Lindsley make for a sultry, smoky venue, which did everything to create an atmosphere of intrigue around Odell. It’s hard to imagine a better venue for his talent, especially considering the coziness of the environment. He admitted in the concert that “there’s a certain nervousness that a musician only feels in Nashville,” but he was warmly welcomed by the entirely-filled venue and loving fans.

 

If you haven’t listened to Odell’s new song “Somebody Else” yet I couldn’t recommend it more, and be sure to tune into VandyRadio for some more album reviews and concert coverage coming soon!