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Three minutes in to this stunning debut single from Stoke-on-Trent multi-instrumentalist Gabriel Richards comes a moment of sheer, unadulterated bliss.

The song – about lost loves and missed chances – has built beautifully to this point: haunting guitar swells, swirls of ambient atmospherics, delicate beats and a kaleidoscopic, Fleet Foxes-style chorus that washes over you. It all sounds gorgeous and intricate, lots of different pieces slotting together like clockwork.

But it’s the point when it all breaks down that it really puts the hairs on the back of your neck on edge, a shift in tempo and volume that’s like dropping off the edge of a cliff, leaving just Gabriel’s spine-tingling falsetto vocal, an achingly beautiful melody and gentle guitar.

The swell of sound rises again and reaches a crescendo as the track crashes to an end.

It’s a mightily impressive debut.

Gabriel began working on his solo career in 2019 after playing drums in a major label-signed act back in 2017. This year’s when he steps into the spotlight, with more singles and EPs heading our way throughout 2021 via Humans & Other Animals and a debut album slated for an early 2022 release.

Apparently, discussions are already under way about a deal – which isn’t surprising at all given the impact of this debut track.

One. To. Watch.