James Blake - James Blake, a review

Hype is a dangerous thing. It can be misattributed wildly - remember Little Boots? It can set someone up to fall majestically before you've even begun, and that could very well be the case here. James Blake is described a neo-soul dubstep-lite musician who's arrived on a platform of minimalism recently revived by the XX's mammoth success.

But minimalism doesn't say enough. Whilst there are numerous technological tricks and gadgets employed (he provides his own backing vocals on a number of tracks) I feel they've been put to better use by many other artists around and waiting to break through (Jamie Woon is a good example).

Onto the album. 'Unluck' gets the ball rolling with his soulful voice echoing and autotuning itself into an exciting vine around a Massive Attack 'Teardrop'esque beat and ever-changing synths providing climactic opportunities almost chaotically. The result is a disjointed, confusing soul song. 'The Wilhelm Scream', a cover of James Litherland's (?), is similar in composition - Blake's voice is better here but the tune (or lack thereof) is similarly eclectic.



'I Never Learnt to Share' showcases his interesting use of self-backings and it's quite an interesting little trick. Halfway through the track there's thankfully a sudden change of beat, varying up the tempo. The lyrics are bizarre, however, giving a repeated, but short, glimpse into a fractitious family setup. The line eventually peaks with a much grittier sound.

'Lindisfarne I' is literally just Blake's autotuned voice. I don't care if you hit a high C in autotune, it's lazy and shit. With 'II' there's introduction of a beat that's as lazy and shit as the technology. His first single, a cover of Feist's 'Limit To Your Love' follows. Thankfully relying on simpler musical instruments (later drumbeats sound more trip hop than crudstep), it's a worthy testament to the song and showcases his voice amply.

In the short 'Give Me My Month' piano arrangements are similarly minimalist but offer a brief glimpse into what could be if he ditched such an attitude. 'To Care (Like You)' throws out random samples of his own and a featured woman's voice (I assume - could easily be a trick I suppose) to confuse you further.



I took my mind off the review for a second and totally missed 'Why Don't You Call Me' which says it all, really. 'I Mind' sounds like someone varying "ooh" sounds in a shower. The album finishes with 'Measurements', which is more of the same.

Let's assess where it went right for the XX. They had tunes. They had instruments. They had direction. This has neither of 2 and minimalises the third. It's all very well having the technology to pull off something innovative but there's a glaring lack of music here.

Rating: 4/10
Highlights: Limit to Your Love, I Never Learnt to Share, Give Me My Month
Avoid: Why Don't You Call Me, both Lindisfarnes, I Mind