Say, do you remember that year that Beyonce had taken off? I don't. I remember hearing about her planning it, but then it was followed by the release of a whole bunch of stuff. I know she took her time off somewhere, but her team kept things moving along as if she wasn't gone. Artists always seem to have a lot of songs, just lying around, waiting for a chance to come out.
Sam Smith looks almost set to do the same thing. After a few years of constant work, he's getting ready to return to a somewhat 'normal' life, but still, there is a new single making it's way to the charts, currently.
In "Restart" Sam, vocally, almost reminds me of Robin Thicke. The chorus of the song is airy and light, and super high, which turned into Thicke's signature sound.
The verses are a more traditionally sound Sam Smith. He has this sadness in his voice, which I'm beginning to think is just by design. It's one of those voice just suited for those sad live songs, but then this song shows he could potentially pull of really light hearted dance tracks as well.
Musically, the song could very well have been a song from the 80s, competing with UK soul bands like Curiosity Killed The Cat or Johnny Hates Jazz. It's got all the typical marking of that era, including some scratching in the break midway through the track, that was used in pop songs in those days.
There are no blurred lines lyrically. This "leave me alone"-track with a snippy "you made your bed, now lay in it"-message says it all. Sam was ready to restart.
To that regard, it's actually the best track to describe the year that lays ahead of him. It could be his 2016 anthem, which is branded to be the year he'll restart by recharging those batteries.
Perhaps, after, he'll return in a big Adele-kind-of-way, but I do think we'll hear from him again.
"Restart" is part of his new, Drowned Shadow, edition of "In The Lonely Hour". It's hard to pick the best track from the album, but this one is high up there for me.
