Tom McRae has the unusual distinction of being the son of not one but two vicars - resulting in an upbringing which, he caustically notes, gave him a lifetime's worth of songwriting material. Now building up a promising solo career after a number of false starts, the Suffolk man has won plenty of critical praise for his ability to blend his dark, vitriolic visions with bright and beautiful melodies. This follow-up to his Mercury-nominated debut, however, leaves you in some doubt as to whether he really is, as the music press insists, the Next Big Thing. Named after a Simon Armitage poem, Just Like Blood rails against the world in songs that are clearly supposed to be insightful and moving but end up sounding just deeply unsettling and claustrophobic. 'Walking2Hawaii' is typical, an ostensibly sweet ditty about sitting on the perfect beach with the perfect girl, waiting for the outbreak of World War 3. Like the rest of the album, it's a highly original idea - but just a little too off the wall to be really satisfying. The overall impression left is that of a really angry David Gray, only this time with fewer memorable tunes. Interesting - but as yet, nothing to get really excited about.
