Amongst the current crop of highly talented UK singer/songwriters, Tom Baxter is one of the best, based on this very beautiful piece of work. Baxter possesses a gentle, fluid and super-expressive voice that occasionally reminds me of the late, great Jeff Buckley. This E.P. is a precursor to his debut album due out later in 2004. On this evidence and with the backing of the same momentous instrumental backing and production, it could turn out to be one of this year’s truly great releases.

This Limited Edition E.P. also proves that Baxter is a supreme, introspective songwriter with an acute sense of melody. The opening track, My Declaration, is a wistful, wandering song with a simple piano opening. Baxter’s voice has a compelling, sincere quality, and is beautifully balanced against the subtly building instrumental arrangement. The song develops into an epic string-soaked ballad full of fine, moving lyrics, and a vocal that grows stronger (perfectly echoing the song’s message) with each note. Baxter obsrved, “My Declaration is a song I rewrote and turned into a positive sentiment. It’s really about coming out the other end of a horrible time, and making a declaration to myself in how I wanted to make a change. In your early 20’s, you tend to avoid responsibility, it’s like a lot of the time you’ve got blinkers on. This is about taking the blinkers off.”

Joanna follows and with gently plucked guitar, and Baxter’s message is a simple and painful one: “Hey Joanna…Think it’s over, I’m falling for you, and hey Joanna, I need no answer, for all I ask of you, Is to stay…Joanna” Now if there is indeed a Joanna out there, if she isn’t severely tempted by the song and the singer, she must be a heartless bitch!

The final track is one of the finest live performances on record I have heard this year. Half A Man opens at glacial pace and in contemplative mood. Baxter’s voice meanders gently along hitting some very high notes as it travels the distance. The song builds and builds with Baxter’s voice becoming more desperate and it’s at this point that it’s hard not to compare this soaring vocal with that of Jeff Buckley. It’s uncanny… In the middle-eight the stupendous instrumental backing becomes stronger followed closely by Baxter’s heartbreaking interpretation and a vocal that continues to soar skywards. The lyrics are devastatingly good: “It can’t be over? Tell me it’s not over?… She’s left me sleepless nights…. of wrongs, no rights, You see I’m a broken man… I’m a twisted man.”

In just three songs Tom Baxter has convinced me that he is about to create big waves, and I can’t wait to see him perform live. If you want to hear something very emotional, and so very special, buy this. Essential listening.

5/5