James Blake (studio album) by James Blake

From teague 09/10/2021 16:48

Some of the songs are great and some of them are not so great. Unluck, Limit to Your Love, Why Don't You Call Me are great. I Never Learnt to Share, To Care (Like You), I Mind are not so great. His voice is really really good throughout.

Although I had previously listened to some of James’ work in the last couple years, I never really fully got into his earlier stuff. When quarantine started back last March, this was one of the first albums I listened to. Play after play, I couldn’t get enough. This record definitely got me through those spring months. What a beautiful record. It is so bare bone and simple, but there is just so much going on at the same time. Nearly a perfect album, would say there are a couple songs I find myself skipping from time to time, but overall this is definitely up there as one of the best. Full of isolation vibes and ghostly melodies. Unluck, The Wilhelm Scream, and I never learnt to share are consecutive heavy hitters... so beautiful. Hope to see James return to this form in the future

9/10

From Timestarter 06/24/2020 10:43

Fav. Tracks: The Wilhelm Scream, Lindisfarne I-II, Limit To Your Love.

After a very successful series of EP, James Blake releases his first album: "James Blake". Mixing R&B and Electro, Blake managed to release a pop album of unequaled sweetness. While the songs are the magnetic center here, Blake's musicality and sonics are equally striking. A producer "dubstep" with a touch of soft piano and an ear for granular synthesis. This album is honest, sincere and James Blake's style is so particular. This artist is for me one of the most innovative of his generation in pop and electro.

9/10

Best track: "The Wihelm Scream"

From capkronos 04/26/2018 17:54

He has a great voice when left as is, which made me hate the electronic distortion applied to it on the first track while the song itself gets annoyingly repetitive. And then I realized this was going to be a recurring theme throughout the rest of the album, at which point I knew Overgrown was going to be more to my liking. A few of the more stripped down songs still showcase his voice well and there are some good moments here and there... just not enough of them. The songwriting itself is weak most of the time. Disappointing.

The intense feeling of isolation and insecurity Blake conveys combined with the phenomenal production makes for a very interesting singer-songwriter-producer record. Blake's talent definitely comes through here, as the technical aspects of this record are impeccable, along with the heart-wrenching songwriting.

Favorite tracks: The Wilhelm Scream, I Never Learnt to Share, Limit to Your Love, Unluck, Lindisfarne, To Care (Like You), I Mind

There's a brilliantly weird aura emanating from this album, something which I can't articulate with words. Strange, mesmerising & macabre, this record transports me to a world inhabited by spirits; it truly does feel otherworldly. It's a case of remarkable British talent complete with gorgeous, chilly electronica and haunting vocals. Blake really understands the power of silence.

People have classed this as "post-dubstep", but i'd lean more towards "electro-soul"? It hardly matters anyway, what's the point of forcing it into a genre when we can just appreciate it for what it is. A confounding, ghostly near-masterpiece that you just can't shake off.

My album of the decade, nothing sounds like it

The EPs leading up to this made me overly optimistic. Result has some successful tracks, but many feel awkward and stilted.

From jeremih724 09/06/2014 21:12

i heard his second album, overgrown, and loved it! the production really complimented his voice, and the vocals were just... precious. this album, on the other hand, is the exact opposite- all the production does is interfere with blake's voice, producing a very un-melodic feel. not to say it doesn't have its moments- the wilhelm scream is a fantastic song- but i just don't believe this album works as well as the follow up.