Music Review: Disclosure & Sam Smith "Latch"

Disclosure & Sam Smith

Latch

Album: Settle

Year: 2012

           Sam Smith doesn’t want to lose his girlfriend in the ethereal  “Latch.”

          In the intro,  a female vocalist says “never, never, never” as the transulent synths float, setting a soothing tone.

           At work, he takes a look at his framed picture of them at Niagara Falls on his desk. He smiles, thinking of how she coaxed him to go on to the boat cruise. The phone rings next to him, reminding him that he’s still at work. He worries sometimes that she will shut him out. He can get her to talk to him about what’s bothering her. However, she will say answer that she’s ok, even thoug he knows she’s not. He’s willing to try. She’s a really special person. (“You lift my heart up when the rest of me is down/You, you enchant me even when you're not around/If there are boundaries, I will try to knock them down/I’m latching on, babe, now I know what I have found.”)

            The synths bubble again, popping in quick bursts.

            In the pre-chorus, he would like their relationship to become serious. He thinks she would say yes to a proposal. (“I feel we're close enough/I wanna lock in your love/I think we're close enough/Could I lock in your love, baby?”)

           In the chorus, she’s with him all the time and he prefers to be with her. If he goes anywhere, he wants her to come along. (“Now I've got you in my space/I won't let go of you/Got you shackled in my embrace/I'm latching on to you.”)

          He holds and grins at her, brushing away some hair away from her face. He tells her how much he missed her today. He can’t believe he found her. He wonders what is it about her that makes him want to reveal everything of himself. (“I'm so encaptured, got me wrapped up in your touch/Feel so enamored, hold me tight within your clutch/How do you do it, you got me losing every breath/What did you give me to make my heart bleed out my chest?”)

            The synths bubble again.

            The pre-chorus is sung twice.

             The chorus is sung twice.

             In the final section, he tells her he plans to be with her forever. (“I'm latching on to you/I won't let go of you/I'm latching on to you/I won't let go of you/I won't let go, I won't let go/I won't let go, I won't let go.”)

                Smith’s intimate vocals caress, exploring each layer of his girlfriend’s skin. He gives her a serious gaze, causing her to look down before looking back at him again. She’s wonderful and he can’t stop thinking he’s incredibly fortunate.

               Disclosure’s blissful arrangement gets lost in the moment, absorbing each detail before it becomes a memory.

             The magical “Latch” casts a love spell that would involve a powerful witch and her origin story (along with some other supernatural friends) to break it.