Daley - Smoking Gun

The career of Machester born singer-songwriter Gareth Daley has been very much a slow build. 2010 saw him provide lead vocals on Gorillaz quirky, poppy single ‘Doncamatic’, and he was also featured on the long list for the BBC Sound Of 2011 poll. All that exposure has not yet led to any real mainstream success, however; perhaps that will change with the release of his debut single ‘Smoking Gun’.

Taken from his acclaimed free mixtape ‘Those Who Wait’, ‘Smoking Gun’ is a big impassioned soulful ballad. The first thing that strikes you about Daley is his wonderfully soulful and dynamic voice, he is possessed with a lovely soaring falsetto and this single makes full use of his vocal ability. There is something resolutely old fashioned about Daley’s blue eyed soul boy persona but, coupled with the very contemporary electro production and just a slight tinge of strangeness, it all makes for an interesting package.

Daley has been supported strongly by BBC 1Xtra and any artist given the backing of Damon Albarn is certainly worth listening to. It appears that the slow gradual build has worked for Daley and, on the basis of this assured single, he goes into 2012 on the cusp of becoming a genuine pop star.