Style: Vocal driven pop
Primary Emotions/Themes: Gay anthems, love, loss, romance
Thoughts: "We're gonna turn Abbey Road into a gay bar." This phrase is uttered by one Sam Smith to set the tone for one of the songs in this live recording in the legendary Abbey Road studios.
We all talk about guilty pleasures from time to time. Sam Smith is undoubtedly one of mine. I mean who doesn't like a self important pop singer who is super out of touch with reality but creates some banging tunes? As much as I despise the self important stories I hear of Sam, the music he creates and his voice are actually something I truly enjoy.
Sam's voice is the main star. He has a high pitched yet incredibly nuanced tone to his singing voice that few people can replicate. In the live setting this comes out even more than it does in the studio albums. The music itself is there to compliment him and the guest singers to the maximum effect.
There is something to be said about the music using real instruments in this time and age. This is a bit of a rare gem, with most pop using highly process electronic music and vocals. There is an honesty here that is pretty rare these days. I don't hear any effects on Sam's voice and the instrumentation matches this... this is about as clean as it can get for a pop star.
There's something about the music and how it grooves... the opener - Diamonds - has an absolutely infectious chorus that just makes me want to bob my head and vibe. This is a theme throughout the album, it's just feel good music (lyrics aside).
When Sam goes to reach those high notes sometimes it gives me shivers, the dude can really sing. When Sam sings in his deeply subtle tone that is barely audible it makes me close my eyes and contemplate life. Listen to the entirely of My Oasis and try to tell me that the guy can't sing... if you do I'll think you're lying.
Sam Smith is a bit out of the normal for what I listen to, but often I need a break from my normal shit. This is exactly that. This album is like a grilled cheese sandwich with a bowl of tomato soup on a cold day, a glass of cold water after a day of hard labor... it's refreshing.
Written January 31st 2024
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