Tom Chaplin - The Wave

The name might not be familiar to you but if you liked the band Keane you will know his voice immediately, as he was the lead singer in the band who scored 5 number one albums between 2004 and 2013.

Chaplin has had a few problems over the years but has got rid of his demons and returns slimmed down and with a fresh upbeat view on life.

The album opens up with Still Waiting, a track that sounds like a Gary Barlow song, however Chaplin gives the track an atmospheric vibe. I should imagine he will open up his forthcoming tour with this track. The lyric could be about his own struggles: "buried in the rubble, there's a boy in trouble, reaching for a piece of the sky".

Hardened Heart follows next with a lyric again about his past problems. It's quite surreal as the lyrics are about his struggle but the melody is always upbeat. His voice is as distinctive as ever.

There are some delicate ballads too, such as Worthless Words and Bring The Rain. If you like the British band Hurts then you will also like many of the tracks on this accomplished album.

Quicksand is a track that is quite dramatic and you can just see fans waving their hands in the air when he sings the song live.

Whether this is the end of Keane I'm not sure, but this is a good album that might mean his solo career could overshadow any Keane reformation.

4 out of 5

Tom Chaplin appears at Leeds City Varieties on Wednesday 26th October 2016

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