After experiencing brief stardom at the age of 15 on Britain’s Got Talent, James Smith largely dropped out of sight. Now, with his first album release — after a series of variably executed EPs — Smith shows listeners what exactly he was doing with all that time out of the spotlight. On Aug. 23, he released his record “Common People.”
Although individual songs lack originality compared to other pop songs, the album as a whole is composed in an authentic and novel way. And while the lyrics are repetitive, the instrumentals are what carry this album into a new pop space more consistent with older artists from at least a decade ago, like “Oracular Spectacular” by MGMT.
The single from the album, “Molly,” came out in May and promised an exciting, dopamine-filled collection of songs. Down to the album cover, Smith picked an energy for his debut album — and he did not stick with it.
Smith uses the first quarter of his album to get listeners up and moving, with a mix of high-tempo falsetto vocals backed by energetic drums and slower, groovier beats featuring catchy basslines.
But by the fourth track, “Day And Night,” the excitement starts to dissipate. Smith’s sound becomes reminiscent of moodier ’90s boy band songs, or in the case of “Crescent Moon (Take 2),” he stays sad and slow, but brings back the groove from earlier songs.
“Sunshine Pt. 1” is vocal-heavy and still carries an upbeat tempo with uplifting lyrics. The title track is preceded by an instrumental spotlight, aptly named “Common People (Interlude),” which aids in the transition from the first half of the album. Smith ultimately sets the listener up for a change of pace in the second half.
Unlike the overlapping melodies of “Common People,” “Lightning In A Bottle” has only a dynamic guitar rhythm and the soulful vocals make for a toned-down tune. In the final three songs, Smith fully embraces the sad bedroom pop genre to which he has traditionally belonged. Throughout the album, he is successful in keeping the vocals unique and the instrumentals are consistently noteworthy. Yet the final three songs begin to feel repetitive and depressing, much unlike previous slower tracks, which were still engaging.
This album fell short of a fifth star because while it had emotional range, it lacked thematic diversity. Smith transitioned fairly smoothly from a dance party to a pity party, but by the last couple of songs, the downhearted mood got a bit old.
Another minor flaw is how similar “Common People” is to hits by other artists. Listening through all 12 tracks feels like listening to a Harry Styles album with guest appearances from Justin Bieber, Jungle, MGMT and the Backstreet Boys.
When the songs are unique, they are transcendent, but when they are mediocre — for example, “Like A Record” and “Sunshine Pt. 2” — the shortfall is obvious. What makes the standout songs so addicting is Smith’s mastery of the slow buildup to the song’s peak energy. He also beautifully oscillates between higher pitches with an exciting energy and lower pitches with a soulful feel.
Through his first album, Smith grew beyond his usual combination of despairing piano and aching lyrics, and he has established himself as a strong vocalist with inspired instrumentals. Once he works out a way to powerfully end his records, the result will be flawless. Until then, “Common People” is a pretty solid album.
