One to watch: Antony Szmierek | Pop and rock

Antony Szmierek’s luminous spoken word finds relief in vulnerability of all kinds: the ephemerality of home; surrendering to the moment; love, loss and the mysteries in between. In his songs, they swirl together like sediment in a wine glass. It’s an approach that could easily turn mawkish, but his forthcoming debut album, Service Station at the End of the Universe, proves he has a deft touch.

Two years ago, Szmierek was working as a special education needs teacher in Manchester and self-publishing novels in his free time. All the while, his “pop poetry” – a blend of Self Esteem’s towering choruses and Georgia’s dancefloor bombast – was drawing an audience, first on the gig circuit and later on social media. His facility with language led to prominence within the city’s storied music scene, soon resulting in a star turn on Later… With Jools Holland.

Szmierek has a fanbase that cuts across generations: he has freestyled with gen Z devotees on stage, but is also a regular on BBC Radio 6 Music. What these listeners share is a profound emotional response to his writing, which contrasts surreal depictions of his northern locale (including graffiti on the M60 and the long-vacant Stockport Pyramid building) with nods to a complex, single-parent upbringing. In an increasingly gloomy world, this is music that feels human and affecting.