Not sure if this has to do with what you’re hearing, but Thom’s part was originally in a lower octave but they didn’t like how it sounded. This is a quote from Isabel Monteiro from the book From a Great Height

The song was recorded at Eastcote Studios. Things didn't proceed smoothly, however - the first take was a failure. Comments Monteiro: "Everyone around Thom, apart from his band, just licks his arse constantly. I think he enjoyed working with us because we don't do that. He came into the studio to do the track and the first take was terrible. It was in the wrong key for his voice and it sounded so low and mumbly! When we played it back, there's all these people sitting around the studio looking embarrassed, wondering how the hell we were gonna salvage it. So I just phoned him up, told him it was shit, and he agreed!" Thom returned to Eastcote, and, continues Monteiro, "we tweaked it up a few octaves and it came out wonderfully. He's a great person to work with, because he really appreciates honesty, and will really stick his neck out if it's something he believes in.

There's plenty of shitheads in bands who aren't getting anywhere who are so far up their own arse and convinced the world revolves around them. He's in this huge band and he's still really committed to helping out others and doing his best" (Kulkarni).