“Boring” they said. “Just like James Bay” they said. Really? Are the critics listening to the same Jack Garratt?
It’s understandable to come to that “boring” conclusion
listening to just the singles: Breathe
Life, Weathered and Worry are
Garratt at his most radio friendly, with typical pop structures and catchy
chorus hooks. Yet even Garratt at his most basic is less basic than the peers
he’s recently unfavourably been compared with. Worry especially is a visceral depiction of post-breakup feelings (“don’t
you worry ‘bout it”), lurching from its pensive verse to a self-assured, stomping
chorus. It’s a decent, if unremarkable, pop song, as if he suddenly realised he
needed a recognisable song to break into the mainstream.
Listening to ‘Phase’ though, Garratt’s debut album, the
obvious comparison is with James Blake. Garratt’s sound is far more
experimental than his singles would have you believe. Jazz, soul, dubstep and
electronica all mingle within minimalist structures, as looped samples blend
with processed beats and live guitar. Over the top, Garratt’s vocal oscillates
between a cooing falsetto and a rough yet soulful rock tone. It’s quite the concoction,
proving that amidst all the comparisons, Garratt is his own man doing his own
thing, disregarding influences and genres for something more unique, even if
the end result heavily leans in Blake’s direction.
The second half of the album especially delves into weird
territory – and is all the better for it. The
Love You’re Given is the album’s lengthiest track that epitomises his
varying styles, though he’s often best at his most introverted. I Know All What I Do begins as a simple
folk tune sung over pedal, before the production slowly layers with harmonies
and scuzzy effects; Surprise Yourself contrasts
a high falsetto with deep pulsating sub-bass, eventually launching into a final
chorus of space age synths and acoustic guitar. And on Chemical and Fire, he
pushes his own boundaries towards the electronic end of his spectrum, all womping
basslines and skittering beats that make those pop singles a distant memory. Most
arresting of all is that the album ends with a piano ballad, where Garratt’s
yearning vocal surges with emotional fire.
‘Phase’, then, is consistent in its inconsistency. It
straddles the line between mainstream and experimental and likely won’t please
both camps, though when the two styles merge Garratt truly proves the hype around his music.
There’s a bigger issue, however. Garratt is a
multi-instrumentalist and it’s in live shows where his talents really lie,
working like an octopus between keys, sample mixing, guitars and vocals. It
certainly puts Ed Sheeran’s loop pedal to shame. Yet that’s almost impossible
to capture on a recording. ‘Phase’ is slickly produced and doesn’t quite
recreate the raw intensity of his live shows. As enjoyable as the album is,
watching Garratt perform is the true way to experience his music. In that
sense, with the way the music industry is leaning so heavily on live music at
present, perhaps Garratt really is the sound of 2016.
3/5
Gizzle’s Choice:
* The Love You’re Given
* I Know All What I do
* Surprise Yourself
Listen: ‘Phase’ is available now.
