Lily Allen's cousin had a decent 2013 collaborating with Disclosure on Latch and La La La with Naughty Boy but this year the focus is all on the singer alone. In The Lonely Hour is the perfect title which touches on intimacy as he lays his heart on the line with stripped back tunes but there's party vibes with uplifting beats in there too!
Opener and lead single Money On My Mind gets the record off to an upbeat start but it is a bit misleading and slightly throwaway compared to what is to come. It didn't really grab me the first time I heard it and the performance on at the Brits was really off-putting as the high-notes were too high even for Sam who has an unbelievable range and a unique tone. Anyway, once that is over it is a pretty flawless album which tackles heartbreak, stories of failed pursuits for love, it is a very honest, open record, you believe Sam, he tells it how it is, there's no mask to hide behind or sheets to cover up the bruises.
Good Thing is a delicate composition that is the real representation of what Sam Smith is really about as it flutters with strings and flows into some magical, unexpected and totally charming, then you have Leave Your Love where he thrives for a partner in crime so much that he is happy to be a home wrecker!
Stay With Me describes those awkward one night stands which you are left feeling mucky rather than loved up, then you have got Not In That Way where that significant other doesn't feel the same, you can hear the pain in his broken, delicate voice, so gently put that you can't help but feel sorry for him. He describes feelings in such away that you automatically gain a connection. There's a softness to the piano based Lay Me Down which is so soulful that you could be mistaken for thinking it's Ray Charles, as the strings and backing vocals kick in for the chorus it gets uplifting, gospel-esq, not what you expect from a 22 year old.
The mood lightens up towards the end, Restart has slick eighties dance-floor beats taken straight out of Studio 54 whilst an acoustic version of Latch is rather beautifully done. La La La should sound out of place but it really doesn't.
This is a mature, intense and enchanting record from a true talent, incredible vocalist and unique songwriter who has a huge career ahead of him, what comes next might depend on his relationship status. You end up willing him on to find happiness.
