Home by Rhodes (EP)

Rhodes: it’s a lonely road to success

‘Home’ sees the heartfelt young songwriter Rhodes continue to prime himself for adoration, with another record of darkly beatific indie

ast October Rhodes released his haunting debut EP Raise Your Love, which recalled the singular talent of Jeff Buckley. Having followed that with this year’s excellent Morning EP, the prodigious songwriter returns with Home

Trading in the same anthemic romanticism as before, opener Breathe again sees Rhodes taking his evocative vocal as the centrepiece. And why not? It’s a voice to quieten a storm and clear disharmony. Musically there’s an epic quality to the honey-drenched indie, something augmented by the affecting backing atmospherics.

This is a trick repeated on Crash, though with a slightly more subdued hand dealt; Rhodes playing the part of a cardsharp, drawing his audience in before levelling them. That leveller comes with the haunting piano ballad What If Love, which recalls Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds’ Into My Arms. The records title track closes with velvet-laced sheen.

Though Rhodes may be accused of treading the same musical water – darkly tinged indie romanticism – that accusation sinks in on itself. As Rhodes’ contemporaries James Blake and Tom Odell are well aware, when one possesses the ability to walk on water, they need not tread along a different path. Home is music of aching beauty.

Verdict: Moody yet graceful indie

Damien Girling

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