Let's cut to the clear chase, Sam Smith isn't doing anything innovative, but that by no means makes "In The Lonely Hour" a bad record, on the contrary, the stripped down back-to-basics plays on Smith's strengths, his vocals, which have the ability to stir even the most hardened of souls.
We see Smith with gospel tinged ballads such as "Stay With Me", and a reworked "Lay Me Down", along with brooding tunes like "Like I Can" and "I'm Not the Only One" with most of the tracks hitting a solid middle ground.
