Phase

Phase is a strong start to Garratt's career. He gives listeners a raw, direct experience that pushes them to reflect and embrace the beat at the same time.

You could argue that Garratt applied unnecessary polish over what might be a prettier patina, but he deserves props for mapping out his own terrain, accessibility be damned.

While one half of ‘Phase’ sounds complete and polished, the other sounds unfinished, and unsteady. But the songwriting quality of the better cuts and the raw talent that underpins their delivery brings a fire to the record.

Sometimes it just gets on your nerves, usually when the gulf between Garratt’s resolutely mainstream songwriting and what’s going on in the background proves too wide to bridge: the sound feels grafted-on and uncomfortable, the sense of someone trying a bit too hard is difficult to escape.

There’s no doubt that the record’s production is second to none and Garratt’s talent is as obvious as an Uber driver’s Sat Nav, but his USP is somewhat dimmed by hours and hours of carefully chosen layers, vocals and everything else in between.

A showcase of solid songwriting and slick production.