25th of August 2025. A hugely significant date for many UK soul fans.
A date which will live long in the memory of Conner Reeves and his patiently committed fanbase. This was the day that one of the UK’s top soul singer-songwriters finally released his follow-up album from his 1997 debut. Yes, you read that right. ‘Ten Thousand Days and The Church of the Restoration’ is only Reeves’ second, full-length album in over 27 years.
Conner Reeves’ new album only serves to reinforce the question “why has it taken him so long?”. Conner’s distinctively smooth but powerful soul timbre is very much still intact. There’s genuinely zero drop-off in vocal ability. However, the most pleasing aspect of ‘Ten Thousand Days and The Church of The Restoration’ is the rich depth of the songwriting. And while this is certainly a soul record by genre, the breadth of musical styles across all of the songs makes it an engaging experience throughout.
From the paradoxically uplifting bluesy opener ‘Talk You High’ via the radio-friendly ‘Twice as Happy’ through to the deeply contemplative and intense ‘Chrysalis’, this album is an incredible showcase of Reeves’ musical dexterity and wide range of influences. What’s more, there’s nothing less than total sincerity with every lyric sung.
The album is also peppered with extended musical interludes which, quite frankly, are more than good enough to be made into full-length songs. Short ditties such as ‘This Goes Out’ are not only heartfelt but just leave you desperate for more.
There’s only two crimes committed here. The fact that Reeves has been sitting on such rich, gorgeous music for so long and an album name that is annoyingly long for a reviewer to write in full. I’m sure we can forgive him of those though.
STANDOUT SONG – ‘Tell These Arms’
BEST LYRIC – “What a strange and beautiful price to pay, love is only yours if you give it away.” (from the song ‘Hurts’)
