James Blake
The British electronic pop artist James Blake was showered with attention and nominations in his native land in 2010 and 2011. That’s striking because Blake’s music is truly strange. Drawing on the weirder side of R&B as well as leftfield English dance music, the singer/songwriter crafts spare and spooky gems. On “Unluck,” simple electric piano (evocative of ‘70s Sly & The Family Stone), itchy rhythmic tics, and sound blurts serve as a backdrop as Blake sings, at times through a vocoder. The track sounds like something you would hear while a producer was tinkering with a mix, but here it’s the intriguing end result. One of the album’s singles, “The Wilhelm Scream,” is as lovely as it is eldritch. The catchy melody is surrounded by music that is both minimal and ambient. Blake is capable of all sorts of odd moves: on “I Never Learnt to Share,” a beat doesn’t kick in until the cut is more than half over. One of the album’s highlights is a cover of the Canadian songwriter Feist’s “Limit to Your Love,” which consists of his naked voice, piano, and a haunted atmosphere.
After a brilliant run of EPs, James Blake returns with an album that tilts toward traditional songwriting while refining his unique approach to production.
As a genre, dubstep isn’t known for smallness. Utilizing a three-prong attack of soul-shaking bass, thickly synthesized atmosphere, and sharp sound-effects pileups, dubstep typically engenders feelings of severe gloom, even without the aid of lyrics. Londoner James Blake is a 21-year-old dubstep producer who’s found…
British dubstep-minimalist artist, James Blake, has brought his unique sound Stateside with the release of his self-titled…
During 2009 and 2010, James Blake issued a clutch of abstract dubstep singles on Hemlock, Hessle Audio, and R&S.
A combination of traditionalist songwriting and avant-garde sonics is what makes the album such a compelling listen.
James Blake's debut is not an easy listen, but it's exactly what modern pop needs, says <strong>Alexis Petridis</strong>
James Blake - James Blake review: This is James Blake, a man only loosely tethered to earth, now completely letting go.
James Blake's musical alchemy matches the beauty of Massive Attack. Rating: * * * *