鈥淪targazing,鈥� the 2024 hit by British folk-pop artist , is anthemic almost immediately: There are shouts, claps, and an ear worm of a chorus. 鈥淵ou and I stargazin鈥�,鈥� Smith belts, 鈥渋ntertwinin鈥� souls.鈥� His voice crescendos before falling back to an-almost speaking cadence: 鈥淲e were never strangers / You were right there all along.鈥�
The song arrived within the recent folk-pop renaissance, in the year ‘s 鈥淪tick Season鈥� reigned the UK charts. But the upbeat optimism at the song’s core 鈥� that your love is out there, looking up at the same stars 鈥� recalls 2010s pop rock hits with repeated choruses like Walk The Moon’s 鈥淪hut Up and Dance鈥� or Sheppard’s 鈥淕eronimo.鈥� That combination 鈥� some sonic nostalgia mixed with an affliction for lyrical pop 鈥� helped make the track the biggest British single of 2024.
Two years later, 鈥淪targazing鈥� is included on Smith’s introspective debut album, 鈥淢y Mess, My Heart, My Life.鈥� Also included is his 2024 hit 鈥淣ice To Meet You,鈥� the fiddle- and acoustic-guitar backed track that similarly mixed country, folk and pop influences into a danceable radio hit. Years later, the warmth of these songs helps avoid them feeling too stale. But what makes 鈥淢y Mess, My Heart, My Life鈥� interesting is the personal history that Smith fills out around those more universally resonant tracks.
鈥淢y Mess,鈥� the opening track, is vulnerable from the first verse: 鈥淚 was born into a fractured family / Where a word can start a war,鈥� he sings over guitars and a mandolin. He explores his family dynamic further on 鈥淕randma鈥檚 Place,鈥� which tracks his close but strained relationship with his grandmother. 鈥淪ertraline,鈥� named for the antidepressant, further details how these dynamics continue to influence his present self.
Smith gets a cosign from on 鈥淒rive Safe,鈥� where the duo trade verses about following your heart (鈥渨herever it takes you / Tears gonna fall, and hell might just break loose鈥�). While generic, the sentiment hits harder when considered against some of the details about Smith’s own relationships, and his own mental health, shared elsewhere on the project.
Smith also collaborated with other heavy hitters of the folk-pop genre in building out the 15-track project. If the traditional Irish influence 鈥� listen for the uilleann pipes 鈥� on the still-poppy 鈥淒ublin Lights鈥� recalls 鈥淕alway Girl,鈥� it is because the song is written with Sheeran, who Smith will open for on tour this summer. 鈥淪ertraline鈥� is produced by Gabe Simon, a frequent collaborator of Kahan’s (who, similarly, often addresses mental health in .)
鈥淎nd I鈥檓 still not able to open up / Even to the people I love,鈥� Smith sings on 鈥淢y Mess.鈥� The project that follows largely proves otherwise. Smith is at his best, here, when he is vulnerable and direct 鈥� building out the character behind the emotional lyrics that brought his ascension.
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鈥淢y Mess, My Heart, My Life鈥� by Myles Smith
Three and a half stars out of five.
On repeat: 鈥淪ertraline,鈥� 鈥淪tay (If You Wanna Dance)鈥�
Skip it: 鈥淗eaven鈥�
For fans of: Noah Kahan, Ed Sheeran, acoustic pop
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