Well before he even announced his debut LP, James Blake’s narrative was written. The 22-year old London producer put out three of the most buzz-worthy EPs of 2010, and his prolific release of these experimental but highly melodic dance tracks earned his debut a preemptive label of “groundbreaking” before anyone had heard a single note—James Blake would own 2011 no matter what James Blake sounded like.
This isn’t the first time the British press has celebrated a new musician so confidently, but Blake’s proven skill in a wide array of dance music made him an unusually trustworthy bet. His three 2010 EPs navigated through the nebulous post-dubstep scene, ranging from R&B-tinged two-step (CMYK) to a haunted take on purple music (The Bells Sketch) to soulful dub (Klavierwerke), united by remarkable production with a refreshing appreciation of silence and space.
Not one to sit still, Blake takes on yet another guise on his first full-length album. Showing more of his soulful side, James Blake belongs more to the category of “singer/songwriter” than that of “dance.” Though its sound is still uniquely and recognizably Blake’s, the songs have more traditional structures—and Jamie Lidell-esque vocal balladeering—and are a far cry from the delightfully arrhythmic dance music for which he earned his reputation.
The record is not more of the same, and that is no problem. What is a problem, though, is just how frequently the songs on James Blake fall flat. Lead single “Limit to Your Love,” a cover of an unremarkable Feist song, is a cheesy take on Talk Talk. The “Lindesfarne” suite is nearly identical to Bon Iver’s terrible vocoder experiment, “Woods,” and the dreadfully dry “Give Me My Month” lacks the typical sound that made even the worst of Blake’s previous tracks worth a listen.
It’s not all bad though. “To Care (Like You)” perfectly bridges the gap between his cut-and-paste beginnings and this new approach, and “The Wilhelm Scream”—all fuzzed-out synths and longing—is far and away the best track he’s ever done. On top of that, the album offers an easy in to Blake’s singular style. It offers a simple route to understanding what exactly he’s doing—and why it’s so groundbreaking.
Voice’s Choices: “To Care (Like You),” “The Wilhelm Scream”
