The Alphabet of Hurricanes

iTunes Review

Tom McRae is a modern singer-songwriter who uses just enough electricity to get his message above the crowd. He starts with the acoustic guitar and a voice that is often likened to Radiohead’s Thom Yorke. But where Yorke continues to seize the art-school crowd with music concrete, McRae crafts a simple, forlorn melody where the piano underlines the loss of love and precious time, especially well highlighted during “Summer of John Wayne” and the slow, haunting plea of “American Spirit” where the ambience turns to a howl. “Still Love You” opens with the simple strum of a ukulele. “Me & Stetson” ramps up towards a new-wave blues. “Told My Troubles to the River” gently builds its pressure as McRae sings what sounds like a centuries-old ballad until it turns into a disturbed piece of menacing piano notes denoting imminent danger. “Out of the Walls” is the eerie equivalent of stalking the empty halls of an ancient castle. “Can’t Find You” is an obsessive-compulsive beaut. This English singer-songwriter knows a strong melody when he writes one, which is, thankfully, quite often.