Aiden Grimshaw

Type- Album Review

Title- Misty Eye

By- Aiden Grimshaw

After placing ninth in X-Factor 2010 Aiden Grimshaw has come a very long way since then to deliver a solid debut album.

His lead single 'Is This Love' full of glitches, twitches and skidding bass seems like an unconventional move for a former reality star, then the remainder of Misty Eye will feel a bit strange. We'll admit it; we're not used to X Factor contestants diverting from the typical pop sound and creating a new sound.

"Well hold on to this," Aiden demands on opener 'Hold On' surrounded by grinding beats, stomping piano and trickling percussion. It's a pretentious comparison, but one that recurs on title the track 'Misty Eye' and current his single 'Curtain Call'. Thundering thuds underline distorted ad-libs and contained strings, gloriously showcasing Grimshaw's ambitious vision.

Aiden's intense stage persona oozes through his deeply emotional lyrics of heartbreak and despair. "Behind my eyes I'm terrified/ Now you're gone," he sings on 'This Island', before declaring that the solitary space is "suicidal". It's painfully hard stuff, but refreshingly honest. His chances of winning The X Factor may have ended extremely early, but Misty Eye is beyond a winner's album. It’s unique, it's interesting, it's daring and, most importantly of all, it's Aiden's.

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- Gillian_x3