Jack Garratt releases volume 1 of forthcoming album Love, Death and Dancing

It's been four years since anyone heard music from Jack Garratt. And then, just like that, he's back. Debuting 'Time' on Annie Mac's Hottest World Record yesterday, Garratt (literally – he recorded the trombones in a shed) trumpeted his astonishing, triumphant return.

Garratt's debut album Phase received some of the highest critical acclaim known to the music industry. Garratt took home a coveted Brits Critics' Choice prize and BBC Sound of 2016. At the time, Garratt was only one of four artists to win both awards in one year, among Adele, Ellie Goulding and Sam Smith.

This is where the problems began, according to Garratt. He spiralled into crippling imposter syndrome. "It completely screwed me," he says. "All I ever wanted to do was make music I wanted to listen to. And, at a time when I was figuring that out, I got put into a corner where I had to defend myself for winning awards I didn't ask for."

Garratt is used to being a one-man-band – he produced, mixed, wrote, and played everything on Phase – and so was dubious when first asked to go meet with a producer, 18 months into his hiatus. This session with Jacknife Lee, however, resulted in 'Time', the lead single from Love, Death & Dancing (Vol. 1). Its lyrics are direct. Unlike his last album, Garratt is not hiding behind metaphors. "Time is on your side," Garratt sings in his gorgeous tenor, amid a fanfare of trumpets and an irresistible dance beat.

The EP includes two other singles, which offer an intimate look into an ongoing mental healing process, and how far Garratt has come since 2016. The accompanying video for 'Time' is grin-inducing. Garratt is by no means fully recovered, but he's in recovery. More importantly, he's happy.  It's truly delightful to see.

Listen to Love, Death & Dancing (Vol. 1) and watch the video for 'Time' below.