Smith has cultivated a genial and humble persona and he seems like a genuinely kind 20 something who’s truly bewildered, but thankful, for his new found fame. “Leave Your Lover” is surprisingly frank and he sings the titular chorus as half a plea and half a coy command. Smith also brings an earnest honesty to the more personal tracks. This fluttering quality makes Smith flexible yes his best trick is still his stratospherically high notes, but he can be just as compelling in a lower register. Single “Money on My Mind” has him switching from his chest voice, charmed with sweetness, to the overwhelming near squawk of the chorus. Smith has complete control over every component of his range. Instead it’s Smith’s stunning high range. Some are calling Smith a male Adele, but his power doesn’t come from violent low notes. On a purely vocal level this is album of the year.
Smith’s personal lyrics on “Lay Me Down” have fluffy backing vocals that make the sugary song wince-worthy, despite the its strangely great outro based around marching drums. The bare bones guitar of “I’ve Told You Now” is sleep-inducing while “Like I Can” is obnoxious Billboard bait. These saccharine songs soaked in bland guitar work and predictable arrangements make Smith’s strong presence fade. Smith was catapulted to fame through the dance world with his show stopping performances on Disclosure and Naughty Boy tracks, but the powers that be seem determined to rein Smith into safe, top 40, territory. Smith’s voice is near flawless it’s the production side of In the Lonely Hour where things get uneven. But In the Lonely Hour doesn’t properly answer whether or not Smith’s current chart domination signals future success. From those first soaring chorus notes of “Latch” it was clear that he would be next in line for the greatness that both bolstered Adele and ruined Amy Winehouse. I never anticipated it, which makes it even better.Sam Smith has the voice. I just wrote a record that I’d play in the clubs. “I never sat down and thought ’I’m going to write a single that could do well at radio’. I’m amazed to see an underground record end up where it has. Thanks to everyone for buying it and supporting it from the start. SecondCity said: “I can’t believe my single, I Wanna Feel, has gone to Number 1. I Wanna Feel sold more than 82,000 copies in the last seven days to take the top spot. In the singles chart, French deep house duo Klingande entered at three with Jubel, while Waves by Mr Probz slipped two places to four and Rita Ora’s I Will Never Let You Down dropped one to complete the top five. The Elusive Chanteuse, entered at Number 14 today.Ĭanadian singer/songwriter Neil Young’s 35th album, A Letter Home, entered at Number 17, while Norwegian duo Royksopp and Swedish pop star Robyn are new in at 20 with their collaboration album, Do It Again. There were new entries from Stateside songstress Mariah Carey whose 14th studio album Me. Paloma Faith’s A Perfect Contradiction and Michael Jackson’s Xscape complete the Top 5. It is also the third fastest selling artist album overall this year behind Coldplay’s Ghost Stories (168,000 copies in its first week on sale, and second in today’s album chart) and Paolo Nutini’s Caustic Love (109,000 copies), which trails Smith and Coldplay in today’s list. In The Lonely Hour sold 101,000 copies over the last seven days, making it the fastest selling debut album of 2014 so far. I was a bit scared a few days ago because I knew that Coldplay’s album had come out. The Money on my Mind singer said: “It’s amazing.
Smith, from London, scored his third number one last week with Stay With Me - but had to settle for the runner-up spot today after 27-year-old Anglo American house and techno producer SecondCity edged it the top spot with I Wanna Feel. The 22-year-old singer-songwriter, whose first number one came in the singles charts in May last year providing guest vocals on Naughty Boy’s La La La, knocked Coldplay’s Ghost Stories from the summit with his maiden long-player. New kid on the block Sam Smith’s impressive 12-months continued as he soared to the top of the album charts with the fastest selling debut album of the year, In The Lonely Hour.
0 kommentar(er)
