Smith’s tone and his soaring vocal leads pack enough of a visceral punch to overcome moments of oversinging and sentimentality. Even when it doesn’t, it’s still pretty fun. When it works, such as with the infinitely catchy “I’ve Told You Now,” Smith’s soulful balladry is both beautiful and heartbreaking. Thematically, lyrically and vocally, In the Lonely Hour is far from subtle. While at times the vocals are over the top – “Money On My Mind” finds Smith singing the song’s title in an obnoxious yelp that Ylvis might attribute to a fox – most of the time they’re perfect. Smith boasts an impressive vocal range along with a soulful tone seeped in pain, a brooding low end and tearful vibrato. Even the dumbest lyrics – such as the entirety of “La La La” – are adequate enough due to compensation from the catchy grooves. While the album is thematically monotone and Smith’s lyrics are sometimes overly reliant on weak metaphors (“you’re my life support”), Smith makes up for it with a flamboyant showmanship. “You say I’m crazy ’cause you don’t think I know what you’ve done,” he says, calling out a cheating lover’s lies. The jazzy strut of “I’m Not the Only One” finds Smith at his most confrontational. “Deep down I know this never works, but you can lay with me so it doesn’t hurt,” Smith sings. “Stay With Me” strikes a chord with its portrayal of the vulnerability felt by a lover’s departure.
In the Lonely Hour explores the darker sides of love, with Smith lamenting unrequited love (“Leave Your Lover”) while yearning to find his soul mate (“Make It To Me”). The sentimental ballad “Good Thing” features an appropriately overbearing string section straight out of a film from Hollywood’s Golden Age. While most tracks fit comfortably into the slow R&B mold, Smith also experiments with pop rock in the palm-muted guitar shuffle of “Like I Can.” With “Restart,” Smith channels 80s dance pop in the best way. Packed with smooth R&B crooning and energetic dancehall grooves, the album has enough variety to become more than simply a vocal showcase, though considering Smith’s vocal prowess, that would still be enough.
In the lonely hour album inform movie#
In addition, I was so happy to hear that he was singing the theme song for the recent James Bond movie Spectre.With his debut album, the aptly titled In the Lonely Hour, London singer Sam Smith spends just under an hour bemoaning the loneliness, sorrow and self-doubt that love leaves in its wake. His voice is so versatile that many other famous artists have featured him, including the electronic duo Disclosure. I like that his music has a pop, yet soul, flare to it and does not need the kind of auto-tuning that many current pop stars use. “ Stay With Me” became a radio hit, but one that didn’t get as popular (and should have) was the more lively tune “ Money On My Mind” which I’ve definitely had stuck in my head on more than one occasion. He reminds me of Adele and Duffy, two other British singers whom I like.
At times some of the lyrics seem a bit trite and overdone with repetitive melodies, but nonetheless it is still quit enjoyable even for Smith’s voice alone. My favorite album of Smith’s is In The Lonely Hour. I like the type of songs you can sing along to and understand the words to.
I love to sing, so I appreciate any artist that goes above and beyond with their music. I guess it depends on your mood… Although, the songs are so good that I’ve found myself listening to his slower ballads even on cheery and sunny days! I love how he has a blend of sad, raw songs and upbeat, happy ones. I have been listening to Sam Smith since my freshman year of high school, which was now five years ago! His talent is so pure and he can convey such strong emotion through his songs. Today’s installment of Arachnophonia is by student worker Emma A (class of 2021) and features In The Lonely Hour the 2014 debut album by UK singer Sam Smith. Editor’s note: Arachnophonia is a regular feature on our blog where members of the UR community can share their thoughts about resources from the Parsons Music Library‘s collection.Īll links included in these posts will take you to either the library catalog record for the item in question or to additional relevant information from around the web.
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