Sam Smith: In the Lonely Hour

A Brit Award winner even before he's released his debut; several high-profile collaborations with Disclosure and Naughty Boy: it would be too easy to dismiss Sam Smith as flavour of the month if he wasn't such a remarkable talent. The 21-year-old's rich, sensuous soul voice is his crowning glory, but he and his producers use it in a variety of inventive ways. Glitchy, finger-clicking single Money on My Mind has a dance sensibility, but the soft orchestration on Lay Me Down and Leave Your Lover treads the right side of schmaltz while allowing Smith room to soar. His youth may be apparent in the lovelorn lyrical content, but with songs so understated yet so vibrant and accomplished, you get the sense that there's a lot more to come. samsmith.com Download: Money on My Mind, Leave Your Love, Lay Me Down