ALBUM: Jack Garratt 'Phase' - GigslutzGigslutz

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British artist-producer Jack Garratt proves just how much he deserves his recent Critics’ Choice BRIT Award, having self-written, self-performed, self-recorded and mostly self-produced his much-anticipated debut album, Phase.

The Bedfordshire boy really brings his A-game throughout; from the ethereal build of ‘Surprise Yourself’ to the tender simplicity of ‘I Know All What I Do’, Garratt takes you on a journey of heartfelt songwriting and unique, futuristic arrangements that bring a new meaning to the concept of the one-man band. Because yes, he’s playing all those instruments you hear himself – we’re talking piano, loop pads, audio samples, kick samples, drums and guitar… in fact, if you can think of it, it’s probably in there somewhere – a true Jack of all trades.

Lovingly created from beginning to end, energetic radio hits ‘Weathered’ and ‘Breathe Life’ are packed with hooks, high hats and Jack’s trademark falsetto, while the slower moments during ‘The Love You’re Given’ and ‘My House Is Your Home’ are all about the intense guitar solos, intimate piano melodies and enigmatic hushed tones.

Every track on the album is a unique arrangement, and on each listen you hear something new, such as the underlying atmospheric build in the dubstep-inspired ‘Chemical’, or the emotional turmoil behind the poetic lyrics intertwined with the roaring choruses throughout. With something new around every corner, Jack brings you with him on his creative endeavours and has really hit it out of the park on his first run with a debut album that has set him miles apart from everyone else on the market at the moment. And the best part? He did it all by himself.

Phase is out now on Island Records.