Welcome to RedEye’s “Song of the Day,” an ongoing feature where music reporter Josh Terry or another RedEye staff member highlights something they’re listening to. Some days the track will be new, and some days it will be old. No matter what, each offering is something you should check out. Check back every weekday for a new song and subscribe to the Spotify playlist below.
As any young, music-loving Chicagoan will know, there are some weekend nights where you just end up at a show without knowing the artist at all. This, I should add, is relatively embarrassing for someone who’s professionally employed to keep his finger on the pulse of current trends in music. Whatever, you can’t know everything.
Anyway. The other week, I was having some Friday night gin and tonics with my girlfriend and some friends at Schubas. Later in the night, our drinking buddies mentioned having extra tickets to see Jack Garratt—who was playing a sold-out show in the venue’s other room. To sell me on him, they then used a really effective elevator pitch: “James Blake but a little more danceable.” With just one sentence (and free tickets), I was in.
Their description proved to be apt—he was basically a moody, one-man band version of Disclosure, complete with quality pop songwriting, a dynamic, very-British voice and some undeniable stage presence. While I’m not entirely floored with all his material (some numbers could have used a little more bounce), one track that continues to stick out to me weeks later is “The Love You’re Given.” Buoyed by an eerie vocal loop, the song manages to blur the line between spooky and pretty. It’s the rare kind of backing track that makes the music writer cliche “hauntingly beautiful” seem on point.
Upon further consideration, I should probably be a little embarrassed for not knowing who this guy was. After all, Garratt just wrapped up a tour opening up for Mumford and Sons—no small potatoes there. Either way, this is something you should definitely check out whether you’ve heard of him or not. Listen below.
[email protected], @joshhterry
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