NPR’s Tiny Desk Welcomes Sam Smith and their crew.
The Tiny Desk Concert Series is a concept developed by NPR where the employees get to pick an artist to perform live within their office space. They have hosted a wide array of musical artists: from current pop-icon Post Malone to the insanely talented cast of The Lion King on Broadway. These performances are recorded and then put on YouTube, opening these wildly intimate and bare-boned performances for a virtual audience. When this video came up on my YouTube Recommended, I clicked on it almost immediately, as I was an avid fan of Smith when I was younger. I had the joy of watching them live in Montreal when they released their pop/soul album, The Thrill of It All, and was so excited to see what they would do in this type of setting, as there is no place to hide within these Tiny Desk performances. Smith’s music is almost made for this type of setting
The video launches right into the performance with the unmistakable opening piano chords to Smith’s 2014 hit “Stay With Me.” Smith is front and center with a black choir at his back, all dressed in matching black sweatsuits. The sound they produce is purely angelic, as Smith’s very controlled, but almost nasally voice contrasts well with the smooth and full sound of their backup singers. As the camera angles zoom in to focus more on Smith, you can see their backup singers mouthing along to the solo parts of the song, making it clear that everyone in that room genuinely enjoys the music they are producing. This makes the overall performance that much more emotional and heartfelt.
“This is quite mad… I’ve been singing on stage for too long, so this is crazy,” they chuckle as they sip from their water bottle. It is apparent that the intimate setting of the Tiny Desk is something that they appreciate but are a little intimidated by, compared to the huge venues that they have been so used to playing. “This next song… We rehearsed it the other day and this is 100% my favorite version of this song we’ve ever done so I hope you like this. Enjoy, move, get into it,” they conclude with a shimmy as the audience chuckles. Smith has a way of putting those around them at ease, and it is so evident by the way that their choir looks at them, with such adoration and admiration, and the way that the live audience responds to them. The group launches into an acapella opening, accompanied by snaps, of Smith’s popular pop single “How Do You Sleep?” Pianist and effects coordinator Ruth O’Mahoney jumps in with superb tone and timing, along with the subtle strums of guitarist Ben Totten. When this song first came out in 2019, I was not a fan. In fact, I am still not a fan of the recorded track, as it is very much a generic, over-auto-tuned pop song, but this live and acoustic version of the song stunned me. The chorus featured the choir in full effect, backing Smith up with interweaving harmonies that fill the room with a rich sound and energy. It had the opposite feel from the recorded track, given that it was a live, acoustic performance. It let the song speak for itself, and it shocked me to realize that I did actually enjoy the song, especially when it was performed in such a way. All I can say is that this version of “How Do You Sleep?” needs to be released as soon as possible on every streaming platform because I want to listen to it on repeat.
The next song that they performed was “Lay Me Down,” another early career Sam Smith classic. Pianist O’Mahoney and Smith are a well-oiled machine when it comes to the reading of each other in the pacing of this slow opening, as it is just the two of them to start. After the first chorus, LaDonna Harley-Peters joins Smith on the main mic for the next verse, where they put their arm around her. It is a truly touching scene, and it is clear that they have a very special bond. Her voice is such a contrast to Smith’s, with a very full, steadfast, smooth, and versatile range. In the second chorus, they turn to look into each other’s eyes as if they are signing to one another, as Harley-Peters takes the higher harmony to Smith’s melody. Their voices combine to soar over the piano chords, crescendoing beautifully as they get to the bridge of the song. This is where the rest of the choir joins in to create a powerful and almost chilling effect as O’Mahoney hammers away at the keys. This all culminates at the end of the song where it is just Smith and Harley-Peters once again, cooing the heartfelt lyrics: “Can I lay by your side?/ Next to you,/ You.” They hug, and you can feel the love radiating from the screen. This number extracted such an emotional catharsis from me, so much so that a couple of tears were shed. “Lay Me Down” is such a painfully vulnerable song, one that has been one of my favorites of Smith’s ever since I was a young girl, and to not only hear but to see this performance in such a stripped-down setting only emphasized the talent that Smith possesses. It was truly captivating.
“Ok, let’s get saucy,” Smith says mischievously, as the overall vibe of the show takes a turn. They conclude their concert with a performance of their new controversial hit single, “Unholy.” It begins with acapella clapping from the choir paired with fun vocalizations that loosen up the crowd. The piano enters with heavily low and staccato chords, thumping along to the rhythm. While the performance of this song did not lack in fun energy, this was my least favorite part of the concert. This may be due to the fact that I do not like this song and was hoping that they would play more from The Thrill of It All, but I also feel that it was an interesting song choice to close out the concert as a whole. I think that “Unholy’ would be a great opening song to set the tone and get the audience at ease, and that it would have been more impactful to end with a song that is more emotionally hard-hitting and showcases Smith’s singing and songwriting talent.
This video was one of my favorites released from NPR in their Tiny Desk Concert Series, and it only left me wanting to hear more from Sam Smith and their incredibly talented group. Twenty minutes was too short, but they did amazing with the time that they had and I sing enough praises for them.