Sam Smith, Love Goes | Album Review 💿

After being delayed, Love Goes, the third album by Sam Smith arrives with its fair share of moments, though fails to supplant his past work. 

Grammy and Academy Award winner 🎙 Sam Smith was one of many musicians to delay a new studio album in 2020.  After releasing singles far in advance of their album release date, Smith scrapped their original third album, To Die For, and continued working on the project.  True to their word, their third studio album, 💿 Love Goes, arrived in 2020 (October 30 to be precise), nearly three years to the date after The Thrill of it All.  Ultimately, Love Goes is another enjoyable album by Smith, with its fair share of moments, even if it fails to supplant his past work.

“Young” 

“If you wanna judge me, then go and load the gun / I’ve done nothing wrong, I’m young…” Sam Smith commences Love Goes with tremendous authenticity and honesty on 🎵 “Young.”  Furthermore, Smith serves up something totally different than we’re accustomed to hearing from him: an acapella record. “Young” does a nice job of establishing the contrast that characterizes Love Goes, while maintaining his ‘heart on my sleeve’ persona.  Admittedly, he’s made mistakes and done stupid things, but he blames it on being young.  

✅ 🎵 “Diamonds” definitely stands out. It commences with an intro, repeating “diamond” 16 times.  From there, we’re blessed with lovely vocals from Smith.  They’re supported by sleek production work that’s not overproduced yet sounds characteristic of 2020. Regarding form, Smith and their writing team keep it simple and straightforward. Matters of the heart rule: Their ex- was more materialistic where Sam was more attuned to the relationship.  Even with lost love, “Diamonds” is spirited, not downtrodden. We’re treated to a danceable groove and catchy chorus that instantly gets stuck in your head. Beginning on the second verse, there’s more melodic variation, eliminating predictability. I love the musicianship exhibited throughout, particularly on the bridge where Smith begins singing in an undertone before rebuilding the intensity heading into the final chorus. “Diamonds” is definitely a bop to keep on repeat.

“Diamonds” is tough to follow-up but 🎵 “Another One” is up to the task.  As always, Smith sings gorgeously.  Furthermore, they’re supported by a sleek, warm backdrop. Smith moves away from the slightly more traditional sounds that characterized his first two studio albums, in favor of a more electronic, dance-driven sound.  Ultimately, the results are positive, with the chorus being incredibly catchy, and love continuing its dominance on Love Goes, fittingly. 

“My Oasis” 

✅ 🎵 “My Oasis” continues a trend of Smith updating their sound. 🎙 ILYA and 🎙 Jimmy Napes provide a contemporary backdrop, yet Sam remains soulful, flaunting off incredible, nuanced pipes. “Oh, babe, I really need you / My feelings gettin’ deeper,” they sing, continuing, “My mind is in a free fall / But there’s nothing I can do when it comes to you.” Sam loves – or hates – love depending on the song.  Here, they need love, but instead, there’s nothing more than an oasis – and illusion of what is really desired and needed.  🎙 Burna Boy supports Smith’s feelings on the second verse, echoing much of the same happenings. Perhaps “Oasis” doesn’t sit atop Smith’s rich catalog, but, it’s pleasant and well-rounded.

“Suddenly, there’s violins and movie scenes / And cryin’ rivers in the streets / And, God I don’t know why I get so serious sometimes…” It should come as no surprise that 🎵 “So Serious” encompasses a breakup that totally has Sam in their feelings.  Essentially, from their viewpoint, they reminisce on the good times (“I got so fuckin’ close to feelin’ so good”), only to totally cause the utmost sadness.  Fittingly, he follows up with ✅ 🎵 “Dance (‘Til You Love Someone Else)” where he copes with breaking up through the dance floor.  Of course, it goes beyond the sleek production of 🎙 Guy Lawrence and 🎙 Two Inch Punch as Sam seeks out their rebound.  One of the best moments from “Dance” is the pre-chorus, which Sam sings with incredible attitude and command:

“And come find me (Oh)
Wrap your arms around me, baby
They say you can’t fall out of love ‘til you love someone else
Where you been hiding?
When my heart’s been slowly breaking
They say you can’t fall out of love ‘til you love someone else...”

“For the Lover That I Lost”

On 🎵 “For the Lover That I Lost,” we are treated to a ballad, where Sam’s bread has always been buttered.  If the more contemporary tilt of Love Goes turns off some long-time listeners, this gorgeous, string-fueled joint hearkens back to Smith’s earlier work. Perhaps “For the Love That I Lost” doesn’t move the needle, but it’s well-rounded like everything that graces the album.

🎵 “Breaking Hearts” maintains the pleasantness of Love Goes. Relatively brief, it’s definitely sufficient. Here, Sam has one foot in the door of past and present.  It’s contemporary, yet the piano, strings, and soulful vibes definitely sound older and more vintage.  Ever authentic, Smith continues to show incredible sincerity on another string ballad, 🎵 “Forgive Myself.” The pendulum doesn’t swing – Smith does nothing particular different or brand-new – but it certainly finds them being ‘true to self.’ 

“Love Goes” 

10 songs in, we finally arrive at the title track, ✅ 🎵 “Love Goes.” The longest song, it’s well worth it’s near-five-minute length.  Produced by and featuring 🎙 Labrinth, “Love Goes” is radiant to the nth degree. First, we get an extended, unhurried, instrumental intro.  Then, Sam Smith unleashes their magic, showing incredible control and poise.  No worries, Labrinth ensures that the majority of the final minute-and-fifteen seconds is a stark contrast to the rest of the song.  It’s brassy, energetic, and ear catching. That, of course, is before the strings that have appeared throughout Love Goes return once more, in all their warm glory.

✅ 🎵 “Kids Again” concludes the core of Love Goes with additional contrast. Yes, it gives Smith another ballad (typical), yet here, they deliver more of a pop/rock, old-school singer/songwriter joint. As always, they sound soulful, yet “Kids Again” is no soul song and doesn’t sound like anything Sam has released till this point in his career. Of course, lyrically and thematically, “Kids Again” fits them perfectly (“Really wish I didn’t know you so well . Wouldn’t be so hard to leave the past behind”). 

“Dancing with a Stranger”

In 2019, Smith collaborated with 🎙 Normani on the marvelous ✅ 🎵 “Dancing with a Stranger”.  “Dancing…” features sleek production work with a driving groove and warm synths.  Smith serves up compelling vocals on the first verse, including their signature, masterful falsetto. They then go on to shine on the memorable chorus. Normani contrasts Smith’s vocals on the second verse with huskier, sultry pipes. She asserts, “But, boy, I need to get you off of my mind.” She later sings alongside them on the second iteration of the chorus.  Short and sweet, “Dancing with a Stranger” is pretty straightforward, well-rounded record that’s highly effective.

“I’m done hatin’ myself for feelin’ / I’m done cryin’ myself awake.” Typical heartbroken sentiment that accompanies Sam Smith on another highlight, ✅ 🎵 “How Do You Sleep?”.  The lyrics, excerpted from the first verse, continue as follows: “I gotta leave and start the healin’ / But when you move like that, I just wanna stay.” Smith sings over a sleeker, more modern-pop, EDM-infused backdrop. Lyrically, while the verses are well executed, it is the pre-chorus and chorus where Smith’s bread is buttered. The chorus is the crowning achievement. Adding to the modern vibes, there’s a post chorus exemplifying electronic pop and EDM.

Once more, on 🎵 “To Die For” Sam’s voice sounds magical, spoiling us with rich, robust falsetto.  Throughout this pop ballad, Smith sounds quite expressive. Beyond the voice, 🎙 Stargate (🎙 Mikkel S. Eriksen and 🎙 Tor Hermansen) and 🎙 Jimmy Napes provide them a gorgeous canvas to paint upon vocally.  It’s nothing too wild, but it suits the vocalist – the beat, and keyboards/programming, including the dramatic, warm strings. Thematically, Smith doesn’t want to be alone. Like everybody else in the world, “I just want somebody to die for,” they sing throughout the chorus and bridge of the song.  It’s especially relatable on the chorus.

“I’m Ready” 

“I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready / For someone to love me.” Yep, those simple lyrics from the chorus pretty much sum up ✅ 🎵 “I’m Ready”, a rad duet between Smith and 🎙 Demi Lovato.  The theme is familiar; both Sam and Demi Lovato are ‘ready’ to take a risk on love.  For Smith, a good man is hard to come by, but they’re willing to take chance. The case is the same for Lovato on the second verse, who contrasts the summer of Smith’s verse with winter: “It’s a hot night in my head in the chill of the winter.”  For most of the song, these standouts sing independently of one another, joining together on the final line of the final chorus. Besides the awesome vocals, the production is quite ripe (Ilya), the gospel-infused choir soulful, and the song itself is relatable, well-performed, well-produced, and well-written.

🎵 “Fire on Fire”, from 2018, served as the lead single on the Netflix mini-series, Watership Down. Vocally, Smith is ‘on fire,’ infusing their emotions full throttle (where they’re at their best).  The production is balanced, nothing extremely flashy, yet perfectly suited to provide necessary fuel for the fire.  When the strings soar, and when Smith ascends into their masterful upper register, that’s when “Fire on Fire” is truly elite (The golden chorus being a prime example).

🎵 “Promises”, also from 2018, is a collaboration with Scottish DJ/producer 🎙 Calvin Harris. “Promises” features a busy, soulful-pop groove.  Overall, the backdrop is soulful (piano, robust bass, and groove).  Expectedly, Smith delivers a solid vocal performance.  They don’t get too crazy but sounds rock solid.  They provide a bit more oomph on the bridge, when ascending into that silky-smooth falsetto. Notably, the chorus and post-chorus feature some lines with 🎙 Jessie Reyez. The chorus isn’t the second coming, but ultimately respectable.

Final Thoughts 💭 

All in all, Love Goes is another enjoyable and well-rounded Sam Smith album.  Shifting to a more contemporary sound works out for Smith positively.  That said, at times, Love Goes doesn’t quite exhibit the same magic as his first two albums.  Nonetheless, Love Goes is always good with its fair share of standouts.

✅ Gems 💎: “Diamonds,” “My Oasis,” “Dance (‘Til You Love Someone Else),” “Love Goes,” “Kids Again,” “Dancing with a Stranger,” “How Do You Sleep” & “I’m Ready”

🎙 Sam Smith • 💿 Love Goes • 🏷 Capitol • 🗓10.30.20

[ 📷: Capitol]