Lighting Matches

For the act of lighting a match, see Match.

Lighting Matches
Studio album by
Tom Grennan
Released6 July 2018 (2018-07-06)
Recorded2016–2018
Genre
Length41:43
LabelInsanity
Producer
Tom Grennan chronology
Found What I've Been Looking For
(2017) 		Lighting Matches
(2018) 		Evering Road
(2021)
Singles from Lighting Matches
  1. "Royal Highness"
    Released: September 2017
  2. "I Might"
    Released: December 2017
  3. "Sober"
    Released: February 2018
  4. "Barbed Wire"
    Released: June 2018
  5. "Run in the Rain"
    Released: November 2018

Lighting Matches is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Tom Grennan, released on 6 July 2018 through Insanity Records. The album spawned five singles, and includes three singles, released on Grennan's previously three EPs.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic79/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
Clash5/10[2]
The Independent[3]
NME[4]

Lighting Matches was generally well received by critics. NME critic Andrew Trendell said that the album "makes Bedford sound like Hollywood" and that Grennan "knows what he's doing".[4] However, Clash critic Nick Roseblade said that the album "isn't a bad album, but sadly it doesn't excel either" and that "it all feels a little too rehearsed and sanitised in its delivery."[2]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Found What I've Been Looking For"
3:11
2."Royal Highness"
  • Laconic
  • Joe Rubel
3:13
3."Barbed Wire"
  • Grennan
  • Danny Connors
Hugall3:05
4."Run in the Rain"
Jimmy Hogarth3:57
5."Aboard"
Eg White3:53
6."Lighting Matches"
  • Grennan
  • Lattimer
  • Jimmy Hogarth
Hogarth3:29
7."Lucky Ones"
Samuel Dixon3:33
8."Sober"
Fraser T Smith3:42
9."I Might"Diane WarrenPeter Stengaard2:53
10."Make 'Em Like You"
Pott3:39
11."Something in the Water"GrennanHugall3:27
12."Little by Little Love"
  • Grennan
  • Pott
Pott3:41
Total length:41:43
Deluxe edition CD
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
13."Praying"
Hugall3:06
14."Secret Lover"
  • Grennan
  • Pott
Pott3:58
15."Sweet Hallelujah"GrennanHugall3:48
16."All Goes Wrong" (with Chase & Status)
Chase & Status3:43

Chart performance

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[5] 191
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[6] 60
UK Albums (OCC)[7] 5

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[8] Gold 100,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ "Reviews for Lighting Matches by Tom Grennan". Metacritic. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  2. ^ a b "Lighting Matches – Tom Grennan". Clash. 16 July 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Lighting Matches – Tom Grennan". The Independent. 5 July 2018. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Lighting Matches – Tom Grennan". NME. 6 July 2018. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  5. ^ "Ultratop.be – Tom Grennan – Lightning Matches" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Tom Grennan | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 8 March 2019.
  8. ^ "British album certifications – Tom Grennan – Lighting Matches". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 November 2020.