Jack Garratt - Phase: The hype has foundation

The main problem with Jack Garratt is that his bearded face is inescapable.
Jack GarrattJack Garratt
Jack Garratt

He is absolutely everywhere right now; trailing ‘rising star’ award wins in his Radio 1 friendly wake.

The pressure for the Buckinghamshire multi-instrumentalist and singer is more than on, it threatens to topple the 24-year-old before he’s even gotten going.

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Fortunately, the hype has foundation... although Garratt’s debut record will only give fans six more new songs - he’s already released half of it as singles.

Not one for intrigue, then, but he does know how to nail a jangly electro-pop riff with all the emotional impact The Weeknd is currently trading on (a very good thing).

Weathered just needs a live choir in the background to have everyone weeping, while latest single Fire is less fluid, halting and leaning towards staccato minimalism before blanching into hammering techno.

Sometimes it’s not difficult to think, had James Arthur not possessed an attitude problem, opener Coalesce might have been the kind of stuff he’d have made down the line (they have a similar raspy vocal twang).

But Garratt is far, far more talented and versatile than that.