James Blake James Blake (Atlas/A&M)
4/5
By: Rachel Bolland
It’s unlikely that there’s anything I could write about James Blake that anyone who takes a vague interest in music doesn’t already know by now, as rarely has there been an artist who has gripped the music community with quite the ferocity he has.
His first 3 EPs introduced us all to his dupstep-influenced minimal style, with many hanging on with bated breath for his full length debut. Yet many who were hoping for an extended version of one of these earlier EPs may well have been disappointed. The dubstep influence seems to have all but disappeared on his debut LP, leaving in its wake a record that could almost be classed as soul, allowing a platform for Blake’s impressive vocal talent to take centre stage.
Despite losing what many may have seen as his initial edge, Blake’s record does not become any less interesting or engaging because of it. He’s managed to create beautifully simple songs that are still wonderfully intricate. This is perfectly captured in ‘I Never Learnt To Share’, which features just one line (”My brother and my sister don’t speak to me, but I don’t blame them”). Despite the sparseness of the lyrics, there’s still so much to the song - Blake builds on the cyclical non-narrative, beginning almost a cappella and adding distortion and more and more synths until it climaxes in something quite beautiful and just completely epic.
This method of climaxing is used frequently throughout the record, along with his beautiful use of silence. Several of the songs maximise the effect of suspense to its fullest, many times leaving the listener gagging for a conclusion, and the feeling of relief when it finally comes is unparalleled. In the case of ‘Willhelm Scream’, it’s downright stunning.
There are also moments when Blake frees himself of his dubstep roots completely, moving firmly into piano ballad territory. ‘Give Me My Month’ is probably the most accessible of the 11 tracks on the his self titled record, and demonstrates his ability to write simple songs that might not be as unique as some of the others, but possess their own distinct beauty and bring a diversity to the LP as a whole.
The artwork for Blake’s self titled debut shows the man himself with two faces, somewhat evocative of the record itself. He seems torn between the minimal, synth based side of him, dripping in autotune like ‘Lindesfarne I’, and his soul leanings, like his sumptuous cover of Feist’s ‘Limit To Your Love’. While James Blake is undoubtedly an extraordinary album, one worthy of the plaudits it’s received (and none of the baffling criticism it’s getting in some circles), it almost feels like it’s not sure what it wants to be. However, this hints that there is yet more to this massively hyped artist to be discovered, and, given room to grow, he could progress and develop and come back to further stun his critics and contemporaries and doubters alike.
Artists in this article: James Blake
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