Track Listing

1. A Day Like Today
2. You Only Disappear
3. Ghost Of A Shark
4. Stronger Than Dirt
5. Overthrown
6. Walking2Hawaii
7. Mermaid Blues
8. Karaoke Soul
9. Line Of Fire
10. Human Remains

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #26960 in Music
• Released on: 2003-09-15
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .22 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
This sensitive scribe from a sleepy Suffolk village came up with a self-titled debut that won him a Mercury Prize nomination in 2000. Just Like Blood, the follow-up, is no less intense, but, as Tom McRae says, this time round he has "sweetened the pill stylistically". And how sweet this is: subtle mbira thumb piano, judiciously-used orchestration and melodies that drift, waver and just hang there. But there is an icy fire to his lyrics--from the dysfunctional relationship he disdainfully recalls in "Karaoke Soul" to the vengeful, country-tinged "Stronger than Dirt". Emerging from his Thom Yorke-style choirboy tones, however, is a sense of transcendence, and the feel of a hapless romantic. The track "Mermaid Blues", for instance, is shimmering in its simplicity: "I can sing you out of this", he breathes, with otherworldly charm. --Lucy O'Brien

CD Description
'Just Like Blood' is the follow up to Tom McRae's eponymousdebut album which was released in 2000. Drawing on his lastalbum, fusing neo-folk with soft indie-rock, 'Just Like Blood' combines the intimacy of Jeff Buckley and Nick Drake with influences of Neil Simon.

Customer Reviews

The more I listen to it, the more I fall in love with it.
I just can't get over it. This album contains ten fantastic songs, plain and simple. Marvellous arrangements, genius lyrics and a voice to make those so-called "Pop Idols" hang their heads in shame. Although there is the palpable air of sadness and loss (not reccomended if you are feeling down), there is an emotional intensity beyond "depressing" that arises out of this music. Take "Overthrown" which sounds incredibly eerie at first but get closer and it becomes the most fantastic love song. Another example is "Line of fire" which at first I thought was this creepy song about a stalker but now I'm not so sure, I think it's about angels watching over former lovers or something now. Of course, engaging lyrics are one thing but interesting thought-provoking musical arrangements are another, fortunately Tom does not disappoint here either and Ben Hillier (past credits include Elbow's "Asleep in the back") is a superb choice as producer. Musically, the opener "A Day Like Today", "You Only Diappear" and "Mermaid Blues" are the highlights, the latter will send shivers down your spine, if it doesn't, it would be prescient to check that you're still breathing!

OK. So there are only ten tracks, it's a bit draining emotionally and you've never heard him before. Don't worry about that, take my advice and buy this album. You won't regret it.

Flawless
One word can easily encapsulate Tom McRae. You can choose that word, but "flawless" will be a synonym. However, for an artist so easily described, to categorise him is almost impossible - he simply does not fit into the modern world of poppy tosh and whining nu-metal. There's something wonderful about hearing a true singer-songwriter with so much talent in amongst the dross - artists like Ryan Adams and Tom McRae. McRae isn't Adams, however - his music is sombre and on occasion treads the line of being just a little too complaining; but the genius of this man is that he never ever crosses that line. Instead, just when you begin to consider thinking that negative thought, the power of his voice, lyrics and music washes it all away.

"Just Like Blood" is perhaps a little more upbeat than his debut; make no mistake, this is still a beautiful exercise in melancholia, but with the greatly increased instrumentation McRae has had access to this time around, there's less of the plaintive "voice and piano" moments. Like all truly talented musicians, this album evolves McRae's style; it's still "him" in every way, but this is a step forward, helped by that increased instrumental aspect and novelty sound effects his new producer has used to augment the music. Everything is polished, and each song feels complete in every way - not one leaves you dissatisfied. And each song has it's own defining aspect which stays with you, whether it's a particular riff or McRae's voice or a single unexpected note. Much like his debut, I don't find myself humming just one favourite song, but the entire album gets itself lodged in my head. It's not a bad mental companion.

Although this is all somewhat gushing and imprecise, it's a hard task to get across just how good this album is. From an analytical stance, it's hard to pick out specific tracks when they are all of such high quality - though Mermaid Blues, You Only Disappear and A Day Like Today are seriously impressive. As McRae himself says on his website (tommcrae.com), his music is all about finding that transcendent moment when you've lost yourself - you could be crying or laughing and you just don't know why. To say his songs are from the heart would be the ultimate understatement; so much emotion comes across in his lyrics that you can't help but close your eyes and feel those emotions too.

It's really rather good. Do buy it.

The Boy With The Bubblegun Hits The Target Again...
Not a lot of people have heard of Tom McRae. But don't let that fool you. His late-2000 self-titled debut blows other British acoustic artists such as Badly Drawn Boy and David Gray completely out of the water, drawing obvious comparisons to Nick Drake, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Its early days, but on the basis of this, McRae will better all three.

The album opens with 'A Day Like Today', and with the very first line "Welcome back says the voice on the radio / but I never left I was always right here" you can almost feel the smirk on McRae's face as the chinking melody chime perfectly over swooning keyboards, climaxing in a crashing chorus in which McRae wishes he could "love you to death...": a minute into the album and you're hooked. The next track 'You Only Disappear' is the pride of the collection, McRae's voice tears through your very soul as he delivers possibly his finest vocal performance to date, the drums reverb over a sweeping sea of sound, before the storm calms and the album nestles into the quieter 'Ghost Of A Shark'; another triumph. The quietest song on the album, it is perfectly measured along with the following jazz-tinged 'Stronger Than Dirt'. Both lead on to 'Overthrown' an unusual electric effort, McRae's voice is distorted to drive home the frustration and confusion espoused within the track. Halfway through the album you're wondering whether it can really get any better. The next song does exactly that.

Walking2Hawaii is vying to be the best song on the lp, indeed the opening verse "falling feels like flying 'till you hit the ground / and everything is beautiful 'till you take a look around / so let it go..." is as beautifully poetic as he has ever written. The soundscape here is as close to perfect as your ears will ever experience, the Oli Krauss' cello pulls and throws you over Tom's gorgeous arpeggio's and the song leaves you quite breathless - quite apt considering the final verse (buy it to see what I mean!). This is proceeded by the stunning 'Mermaid Blues' if only for the cello chaos, and single 'Karaoke Soul', the 'A&B Song' of the album, demanding his enemies 'hold me close when you stick in the knife". Chilling stuff indeed.

The album concludes with the hushed, gentle 'Human Remains', a perfect conclusion to an almost-faultless album, it cleverly fades into silence with McRae asking you to "tell me whats next?". With that the album opens with a wish and closes with a question. Over the 10 tracks it pins you against a wall and challenges you to dare not even breathe for fear of missing a note. Its not as bleak and raw as the debut (Blur & Elbows Ben Hillier takes production credits) but an ambitious relocating of the goal-posts. Its flawless in its execution, with 'Just Like Blood' McRae establishes himself as perhaps the superior lyricist - word-smith more concisely - of his generation. You know, more people should know about Tom McRae. A lot more people...