British singer-songwriter Jack Garratt has certainly made a name for himself over the years, despite having just one album released to date.
In 2014, Garratt released Remnants, an EP featuring his most famous single to date, ‘Worry’. The four songs on this EP were the starting point to his fame, as he went on to headline the BBC Introducing stage of Reading and Leeds Festival. Additionally, in 2015, he supported Mumford and Sons on their UK tour which enabled more fans to discover his sound. As with any release, there’s always singles which are underrated, and with this EP it’s most definitely the case for ‘I Couldn’t Want You Anyway’. Despite making it onto his debut album, it is still extremely underrated compared to others. Its gorgeous piano chords compliment Garratt’s vocals perfectly, and it’s the perfect song to wind down to.
His debut album Phase (2016) was very successful. Shortly after its release, he headlined the Lost Village Festival and won the Critics’ Choice award at the 2016 Brit Awards. It peaked at number 3 in the UK Charts in the same year, and many more people began to discover his music. ‘Worry’ was a hit amongst many radio stations, but there are also some hidden gems that definitely do not gain the attention they deserve. These include ‘Breathe Life’, which is one of the most energetic and electric tunes on the album, and ‘My House Is Your Home’, which stands out from much of the album in its nature as a love song, quiet and gorgeous. With Phase released, Garratt toured around the UK, visiting many cities and also playing a few festivals in the US.
After releasing Phase, Garratt went on a four year hiatus where he was very much missed amongst many music fans. In this time, he admits he wrote an album but scrapped it, struggling with self-acceptance and self-doubt. It turns out this hiatus did him a world of good, as in February earlier this year he released his first singles off of his newest, upcoming album Love, Death and Dancing. Gaining instant attention from BBC Radio 1, ‘Time’ premiered as the “Hottest Record” on Annie Mac’s show, and has since had numerous plays on the station. Alongside ‘Time’, Garratt also released two other singles which should be gaining the same hype as ‘Time’. ‘Mara’ and ‘Return Them To One’ epitomize what there is to love about Garratt: his gorgeous vocals and groovy dance-worthy music. Both singles make perfect shower tunes – ‘Mara”s background music is extremely addictive in its repetitivenes, and ‘Return Them To One’ is a single which focuses its upmost attention on Garratt’s wide-ranging vocals, and its chorus is undoubtedly memorable. The three singles from Love, Death and Dancing that have been released thus far truly do place the upcoming album as one that everyone should have extremely high hopes for. It looks like its 12 songs will deliver Garratt fans what they have missed so much over the past four years: brilliant vocals and dance-worthy tunes.
Be sure to stay tuned on Garratt this year, as on June 12th 2020, Jack Garratt is due to release Love, Death and Dancing, his second album, via Island Records.
