Sam Smith IN THE LONELY HOUR 10/05/2015 Blur and singer/songwriter Damon Albarn

Blur and singer/songwriter Damon Albarn weave tales of stifling middle class ennui into clever pop vignettes

There was a suffocating bleakness to much of VS

giant hooks

Hurt Like Mine

Blink 182 does a fine job tapping into the universal theme of unrequited love ("Story Of A Lonely Boy")

Sam Smith IN THE LONELY HOUR 10/05/2015 Blur and singer/songwriter Damon AlbarnDisclosure's loping dance pop single "Latch," a number 11 U. K. hit in 2012, introduced Sam Smith, a London born vocalist with a deeply emotive voice. Smith grew up listening to R&B giants Chaka Khan, Luther Vandross, and Whitney Houston, but his first impression was unique, not merely for the richness of his voice, but its resoundingly expressive yet naturally delivered manner on a level most singers can't match with maximum effort. Early 2013