Sam Smith Only Intensifies The Definition of True Tear Jerker R & B

Sam Smith knows how to tug at your heart in so many ways. "Stay With Me" was about as intimate a tour-de-force as could be imagined. He's learned well from his predecessors. "I'm Not The Only One" possesses equal power to grasp the most vulnerable parts of you. First and foremost the drums. Drums set to brush past any obstacles placed before them. Next, it's piano flavoring to spruce things up a bit. There are numerous classical flourishes if any of you traditionalists lean in the largely old school direction. Sam's the centerpiece for this skewed wedding cake. His is a voice masterful beyond his mere 22 years. I'm not crazy about the repetition embedded in the aforementioned instruments. Not much of a smudge on my radar though. My advice to you is lean into Sam's rich tones. The heartache streaks down to your toes. Anybody who remembers the radioactive white boy Rick Astley from the '80s surely can respect that the voice and the physical stature of the person uttering it don't necessarily sync up with each other. Who would have guessed Rick wasn't Motown worthy black? Ditto for Sam. Of course his voice has that Brit bluster we so relish. His momentum builds and we come along for the tear-stained ride. As the video shows there's plenty of oh the drama to go around. "In The Lonely Hour" is gaining cred as one of those albums to blow your diet on chocolates with. The femme fatale in this vid couldn't possibly grow any more unhinged could she? We dudes aren't sticking around to find out. If there's a negative to be had from "I'm Not The Only One" is the orchestration of moving parts makes the song too vanilla to be accepted as the ideal soundtrack for wallowing around in one's own romantic dishevelment. On the heartthrob continuum Sam is John Legend's polar opposite. "All Of Me" was a warm blanket. Sam's selection closely resembles a cold bucket of ice water dropped with no limitations added gusto over your unsuspecting head. What the two have in common is they are the reigning kings of soul brought to your table piping hot, lips pursed in anticipation, glands swimming on a level science can't hardly explain. I'm not sure if "I'm Not The Only One" is destined to have the long lasting chart power of "Stay With Me" (we're talking months in radio rotation). One thing's for sure...the trail of tear drenched Kleenex and broken psyches is bound to stretch for miles. It's Sam's time, hours or longer, lonely or satisfied. He's proven adept at making the most of it.