The fifth album by singer / songwriter Tom McRae opens, as expected, with a fragile song. The second track A Is For… starts with screeching clarinets and continues in one breath to the powerful waltz Won't Lie. Once McRae sounded like a gloomy troubadour who became more accessible with every album, now he's got a makeover for his songs. Perhaps the move from the United States to his British
… birthplace has something to do with that. The Alphabet Of Hurricanes is not as poppy as its predecessor King Of Cards and sounds a lot more organic and therefore lighter. The lyrics, on the other hand, have not become much less heavy, the Briton seems to be suffering from permanent heartbreak. As the first part of a diptych, The Alphabet Of Hurricanes makes you hungry for the sequel. (JE)more
