Sam Smith “In The Lonely Hour”

In the Lonely Hour is the debut studio album by British singer-songwriter Sam Smith. It was released in the United Kingdom on May 26, 2014 and in the US on June 17, 2014 via Capitol Records. The album includes the singles “Lay Me Down” and “Money on My Mind”. My favorite track off the album is “Stay With Me”.

Although the first solo single from the soul-inspired, London-born artist was issued in early 2013, it was his soaring vocal contribution to Disclosure’s October 2012 U.K. garage track “Latch” that brought him to most people’s attention. For most of his teens, Smith balanced study with music, soaking in the raw and passionate approach to performance exemplified by his favorite artists at that time such as Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, and Chaka Khan. “Latch” hit the upper reaches of the U.K. singles chart when Smith was 21, and many were surprised when his debut solo track took a more tempered path.