Photo courtesy of PitPony.Photography, Wikipedia
After almost a year of anticipation, Sam Smith is back and better than ever, delivering a new journey through music in his album, “The Thrill of It All.”
Smith last released his album, “In the Lonely Hour,” back in 2014, telling the story of the individual that caused him heartache and loss. Three years later, Smith is back with a new journey, telling audiences his story of falling for someone, the pain in losing love and the thrill of it all.
In his opening number, “Too Good at Goodbyes,” Smith explains his ease in letting go of the ones he loves the most. “So I’m never gonna get too close to you / Even when I mean the most to you / In case you go and leave me in the dirt,” he sings. The song, being one of the two songs released before the album, now rests at No. 9 on Billboard’s “The Hot 100’s.”
The album shares a good variety of emotions including doubt, confession, sorrow and uplift. In “Say It First,” Smith shows the lack of confidence the individual has in himself, and feels that he should restrain himself before catching feelings for someone who does not feel the same again. In his song “Him,” Smith breaks the barrier of religion to showcase his love for a male individual. “Holy Father, we need to talk / I have a secret that I can’t keep,” he sings. “I’m not the boy that you thought you wanted / Please don’t get angry, have faith in me.”
In his hit single, “Pray,” Smith brings them on the journey of his religious exploration, as he turns to God for help. In the song, he sings about the ways in which he does not follow the traditional method of prayer and practicing faith, but believes that turning to the Holy Father will certainly be an aid to to his sadness. Songs like “The Thrill of It All” and “Scars” explain the regret and sorrow Smith feels towards this individual.
Smith ends the album with his song “One Day at a Time,” where he suggests he and this individual should both forget about their past and begin again with a fresh slate, taking their time in building their relationship back. He sings, “We’re neither saints or sinners / So leave your history behind/ Let’s grab a bottle and take it one day at a time.”
In all, Smith tells another beautiful, roller coaster journey of love using his wide range of falsetto and unique voice. The overall album does follow a steady progression, and when listened to in order, it is almost as if Smith himself is telling the story in a well-thought-out chronological order. Works like this are meant to be heard by everyone, and all add up to certainly form one of the best albums of this year. With incredible talent and lyrics, Sam Smith has done it again.
zanderso@ramapo.edu
