Yes, Tom Jones. Yes, new music. Not what I expected either. It's taken from an upcoming new album of covers which is to be titled Surrounded by Time and is unleashed on 23 April (news to me too, although it was announced a few weeks ago - more on this at the NME).
Anyway, the song, which I can't describe as anything but fantastic. Sir Tom is covering a Todd Snider track which featured on a 2019 collection, adding 4 minutes, a killer drum loop, and some serious atmosphere.
It starts slowly, the electric guitar riff fading in. Wait, is this a Radiohead mash-up, you say? (more on that later) .. What is going on here? Then the music subtly dissolves, and lo and behold Sir Tom is chatting to us, drily delivering the witty take-down of modern TV-influenced life, his Welsh accent coming on particularly strongly in places. He sound relaxed, wise and like someone you want to listen to.
So, taking stock, we have vocals which remind me of my chatting with my granddad's neighbours on a South Wales doorstep in the late 1980s. Big tick so far.
Add a repeating electric guitar riff, not to mention the drums, which are highly redolent of Radiohead's I Might Be Wrong (a point which a number of others have made - glad I'm not imagining it). Another tick.
Then a good helping of rich production and some subtle darker inflections in the bass—and those are all the ingredients for a solid, lush and entertaining listen.
I am really curious to hear the rest of the album in April.
And here's the original: