Tom Odell Unveils 'A Wonderful Life': Honest Storytelling in Upcoming Album
Tom Odell Sets the Stage for 'A Wonderful Life'
Tom Odell is at it again, but this time he’s aiming straight for the heart. The British singer-songwriter just announced his seventh studio album, A Wonderful Life, with a release date set for September 5, 2025, through UROK/Virgin. It's a timeline that gives fans plenty to look forward to after the emotional ride of his last album, Black Friday, which dropped in 2024.
What really makes this new record stand out is Tom’s decision to dig deep into the messiness of being human today. He’s not shying away from tough stuff—despair, frustration, even that blurry line between longing and hope. Odell, known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, describes the album as a personal journey into life’s ups and downs, vowing to write and sing as honestly as possible. You won’t find much glossy sheen here. Instead, it’s about the raw, sometimes vulnerable reality that a lot of people recognize but don’t always say out loud.
Recording in Iconic Studios—and Keeping It Real
For this record, Odell and his band set up at three of London’s best-known studios: Church Studios, HOXA, and RAK Studios' Room One. Instead of isolating each piece, they laid most tracks down live, with instruments bleeding into one another. This old-school approach means you’ll catch the human imperfections—the kind you’d hear if you stepped into a studio right alongside the band. It’s the sort of touch that makes the whole project feel personal, almost like a secret shared between friends rather than a polished product straight off the assembly line.
The ten-track lineup covers a lot of ground, opening with the already-released single "Don’t Let Me Go." Another early standout is the new ballad "Don’t Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder." The song starts off gentle, almost confessional, with acoustic guitar, but doesn't stay quiet for long—it expands, swelling into a soaring chorus that practically begs for a singalong.
- Don’t Let Me Go
- Don’t Cry, Put Your Head On My Shoulder
- Prayer
- Can We Just Go Home Now
- Why Do I Always Want The Things That I Can’t Have
- Wonderful Life
- Ugly
- Strange House
- Can Old Lovers Ever Just Be Friends?
- The End Of Suffering
Each title hints at Odell’s ability to tap into universal feelings. "Why Do I Always Want The Things That I Can’t Have" and "Can Old Lovers Ever Just Be Friends?" reflect questions most have asked themselves, while "Ugly" and "The End Of Suffering" dig into deeper emotional territory.
As for life on the road, Tom isn’t going it alone. He’s currently touring in Europe with Billie Eilish and is set to join The Lumineers in the U.S. this summer—a chance to bring some of these stories to new audiences before stepping out for his own headline dates. It’s a packed schedule, but for fans who can’t wait until September 2025, these gigs might offer an early taste of what’s coming next from one of Britain’s most honest songwriters.