In an interview with Adam Silverstein of Digital Spy in June 2013, Newman said: "[The album]'s got everything in influences, from the orchestral, breakbeats, the hip-hop, the house music.

But where Plan B or Amy Winehouse, the doyenne of revival pop, always added an element of top spin to their tributes, Newman merely reinterprets well, rather than reinventing.

The soul singer is paying homage to a wide range of musical influences that have helped shape his sound, the list including everyone from Elvis Presley and Tina Turner to Jay Z and Adele.

'Try' flirts with italo piano and jaunty strings which echoes '70s disco, while recent single 'Cheating' bounds around with tin-rattling break-beats from the shadows of '90s house.

Whether Newman is reflecting on the difficulties of the heart on 'Easy' or crooning for forgiveness on 'Love Me Again', Tribute thrives on a rollercoaster narrative of broken relationships, gutsy emotions and broody intent.

'Running' is a pulsing mid-tempo with a strong whiff of Emeli Sandé to it, while 'Goodnight Goodbye' soars with a lofty chorus that is primed for an impressive live outing.

The list of influences for John Newman's début may be long, but rather than emulating his idols, he is in fact following in their footsteps – and Tribute gets him off to a very strong start.

But he's keen to demonstrate how much deeper his influences go, introducing this album with a litany of soul singers' names leading into "Tribute", his smoky timbre borne on exultant strings that also allude to a classic-soul era.

It's impressive stuff, though as early as the third or fourth track, the formula of impassioned smouldering leading to hugely telegraphed refrains is getting a little predictable.

Variety is furnished by the desolate plaint of "Out of My Head" and the gospelly backing vocals of "Running", also the source of the album's best line: "Trying to stop a river when it wants to rise.