Arts Centre Vooruit, Ghent, Belgium

Melancholy, fragile and intimate songs are Tom McRae’s trademarks. The Brit had his breakthrough in 2000. His eponymous debut album received praise everywhere, earning him the Brit Award for Best Newcomer in 2001.

King of Cards, his fourth album, was released in May 2007. It was recorded in a house by a Suffolk beach and sounds remarkably more cheerful than its predecessors. The dark, depressing songs have been traded in for a slightly more optimistic sound. However, the songs still revolve around the typical McRae theme: finding your true self, running away and disappearing. “All my records are personal. They are literally postcards that remind me of the state of mind I was in at a certain time,” he says.

In July, Tom McRae was live on stage at the Cactusfestival in Bruges, but if you would like to experience his songs in a more intimate atmosphere, this concert in Vooruit’s Concertzaal is the perfect opportunity. Tom already played here in 2004 and once again, he’ll be serving up a set full of musical gems so beautiful they will give you goosebumps.