Phase (Anniversary Edition)(Deluxe)＜White Vinyl＞

Jack Garratt's debut, Phase, arrived with no shortage of British industry fanfare, as the singer and multi-instrumentalist won not only the 2016 Brit Award for Critics' Choice, but also the BBC Sound of 2016 top spot and the BBC Introducing Award. Under that spotlight, Garratt released a moving album of yearning power and deft electronic arrangements, with a dash of British garage and jungle. More accessible than James Blake, less precious than Sam Smith, and less pastoral than James Bay or Hozier, Garratt distinguishes himself by cleverly merging atmospheric electronics with emotional depth. At its most accessible, Phase sounds like what would happen if Sam Smith and Disclosure decided to make an entire album together ("Breathe Life," "Fire"). Yet at its most rewarding -- when he weaves his gritty growl with an angelic falsetto, the stark drum'n'bass beats with explosive warmth and soul -- Garratt creates an entirely immersive journey, manipulating the digital and the human. This dichotomy is illustrated by Phase's highlights: the plaintive "Weathered" soothes with sweetness before bursting with life, while the dubby gospel of "Surprise Yourself" melts away its icy shell and surges with joy. Such moments feel like revelations, but the best execution comes on album centerpiece "The Love You're Given," which was previously heard on his 2015 Synesthesiac EP. Starting with a sample of a haunting female voice, the track descends into electro-fuzz dissonance before building to a frenzy of sonics and texture. These refreshing moments satisfy because of the unexpected, the calm before the storm, the highs and lows. Elsewhere, Phase pulses with cool moments that breathe and sway, like on "Worry" and the second and third installments of his hypnotizing "Synesthesia" trilogy. Garratt closes with the stripped-down acoustic twinkler "My House Is Your Home." His voice is showcased by a spare piano accompaniment, revealing that aforementioned soul within the technological wizardry. Phase is an exciting debut from a fresh talent, a case where the artistic outcome can stand on its own merit. ~ Neil Z. Yeung

BBCの〈Sound Of～〉とブリット・アワードの批評家賞を両方制した人といえば、過去にアデルとエリー・ゴールディングとサム・スミスがいるが、4人目にあたるこのシンガー・ソングライターは遥かに実験志向が強い。シングル・ヒットがないという事実が如実に物語る通りで、本デビュー・アルバムではほぼ全パートの演奏からミックスまでみずからこなしたマルチな才覚においても、3人とは一線を画す。端的には、よりポップでルーツィーなジェイムズ・ブレイクといった感じか? ラフなエッジを残したソウルフルな歌声と内省に則って人間関係を描く詞を軸に、生音と電子音を織り交ぜ、ゴスペルやトラッド・フォークからグリッチーなエレクトロニカやオルタナティヴR&Bまでを網羅。何しろ引き出しが多いために均衡を取るのは難しくて、発展途上ではあるものの、楽曲のクォリティーは高く、プロダクション・スキルも歌唱力もポテンシャルは確か。ハイプは無視してオープンな気持ちで聴くべき一枚だ。
bounce (C)新谷洋子