"The Recluse" is the fourth single from Plan B's second album The Defamation of Strickland Banks. The single was released on 4 October 2010. "The Recluse" has been labeled as "one of his best singles to date" by critics, "neatly marrying poignancy and aggression into a 4-minute-long track with a surplus of scaling strings and his voice showing more desperation for release than ever before." This song was covered by George Michael during his "Symphonica" tour.

Music video

The music video for "The Recluse" was directed by Daniel Wolfe and shows Strickland Banks, played by Plan B, during his time in prison, as well as flashbacks of his life before prison. It was first aired online on YouTube on September 14, 2010. Actress Vicky McClure plays Strickland Banks' girlfriend. At the start of the video a snippet of "The Ballad of Belmarsh" can be heard.

Track listing

Personnel

Chart performance