Tom Hickox delivers a sumptuous collection of music and stories on a heroic return.

Release Date: 25th April 2025

Label: Remote Control

Format: CD / digital

It’s been an age – eight years in fact since Monsters In The Deep album. A lot has happened since so some catching up to do and a lot to say. Especially considering the upheavals associated with births and deaths which have peppered Hickox’s personal life.

LUSCIOUS

Luscious string arrangements mark The Orchestra Of Stories as a rich and enriching experience. One that leans heavily on human stories and the truths they tell us. “I’m primarily interested in people and interesting stories on a micro level,” he says. “I’m always looking for stories, but there has to be a personal angle.”

A toe deep in the waters of the human condition, he’s a gather of stories and snippets from a myriad of sources. From maverick cobblers to political leaders, Lament For The Lamentable Elected not only trips off the tongue but in the”no healing…no feeling” mourns a pitiful plight. Yet one dressed in a silky cloak.

His skill lies in weaving a narrative often with an elaborately constructed accompaniment. A case in point with album opener, The Clairvoyant. Not a take on the Iron Maiden classic, but Mariachi flavourings accompany a grand Dr Zhivago sweeps and a vocal (an eerie “I’m the one for you“) possibly summoned from the depths.

EXTRAVAGANCE

Tragedies and romances come thick and fast, often embellished with the outstanding work of the Chineke! Orchestra, Europe’s first majority black and ethnically diverse orchestra. The Morricone-esque ambience adds a drama to Man On The High Road as Tom croons his way through his musings and especially as he delivers the song title. It makes for a Scott Walker extravagance tinged with the sort of rich delivery you associate with Richard Hawley.

Juxtaposing the fascinating story of The Failed Assassination Of Fidel Castro with a bright and lively little arrangement that also branches off from the peak and trough swells from his orchestral buddies. A similar infectious approach accompanies Chalk Giants; a Summery waltz and an insight into Hickox the cinematic visionary. And suddenly, out of left field comes a reimagining of The Waterboys’ 1985 hit The Whole Of The Moon in which Hickox seems initially hesitant but soon finds the freedom to let go and embrace the sentiment.

The Shoemaker is prime for a flowing and clever rhyming lyric. The piano arrangement subtly complemented by the orchestral washes and the warmth of the brass arrangement. Always a winner for creating a feeling of conviviality. A sound pairing with Roy And Eve. A tale of slowly building obsession where the intensity of the vocal ups the ante with the rare appearance of a simple drumbeat.

Ending on a sombre note, the languid pace and swell of The Port Quinn Fishing Disaster, marries visions of the deserted Cornish fishing village with the refugee crisis. Perhaps the most restrained of the arrangements that fill The Orchestra Of Stories,

GRAND

The beauty of the new Hickox is in music on a grand scale. A record that earns its worth as both ear candy of the most opulent variety yet fully deserving of a deeper dive. The film composer in Hickox pops a head above the parapet and finds some common ground.

Here’s Chalk Giants:

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