Tom Copson – Woven

According to his biography, Tom Copson doesn’t long to play grand venues such as The Royal Albert Hall or Sydney Opera House. Oh no, this singer songwriter aspires to sell out the much smaller Cambridge Corn Exchange. If that fact alone isn’t enough to endear you to the 27 year old, then his debut album Woven has plenty to offer to help win over your heart.

Lead single Afraid to Fall opens the album with a drum beat and female vocals supporting Copson’s delicate voice. Where these raw vocals are matched with quality songwriting, glimmers of brilliance shine through. This is particularly evident in Moments, with its catchy chorus hook making it an ideal radio-friendly second single.

The lyrics to Jenny Has a Gun are rough – not in the sense that they need polishing – but because they don’t shy away from confrontational imagery. “Let’s never know of all the blood that would be shed if Jenny shot herself” he sings without a flicker of insincerity in his voice. And yet, despite the darkness in the lyrics, the finished product sees an inner beauty shine through.

Tracks are pretty diverse within the acoustic singer songwriter genre: Rainbow shows his vocal vulnerability, Prayers for Benjamin ups the tempo to make a rockier number and Sink or Swim uses the tried and tested formula of ‘acoustic guitar + heartbreak’ to produce something pretty fine.

Concluding the album is Never Awake. Sung at the top end of Copson’s range, he reminded me of a sort of crossbreed between Chris Martin and Matt Corby. It’s slow, heartfelt and the contrast to some of the other tracks is a great way to end the album. If the man can show such a different side to his vocals at this last moment, then what else does he still have to offer?

So whilst this man and his guitar’s chilled songs may never lead him to RAH, I really hope he’ll sell out the Corn Exchange one day. And when he does, can someone please ensure I get a ticket?