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$11.99 CD
$23.99 LPx2
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JAMES BLAKE
Overgrown
(Republic)
"Overgrown"
"Retrograde"
One of the most anticipated albums of the year so far is this sophomore full-length from the young British troubadour, James Blake. Over the past few years Blake has evolved from a much-heralded bedroom dubstep producer who happens to sing, to a maturing singer/songwriter who incorporates dubstep sonics into his arrangements and production. After a series of beat-driven 12"s made Blake an underground star, his self-titled 2011 debut may have confused his die-hard dance floor followers, being an album with more voice than beats, and sometimes no rhythm track at all. However, Blake finds a middle ground between his varied impulses on Overgrown, reaching a nice balance between beats, bass, and vocals, and becoming a stronger singer, writer and arranger in the process. The record is full of beautiful melancholy moments, rich and full sound design, and a strong yet lonesome presence, but there are still plenty of surprises; Blake has never hidden his affection for American hip-hop, having released his own re-edits/remixes of D'Angelo, Lil Wayne, Kelis, and others, as well as an EP with the British rapper Trim, and here he also fully aligns and immerses himself in that genre, with a guest spot from RZA, and a bonus track that chops up a sample of Big Boi. These two moments, while nice on their own, seem to shift the focus and mood of the album overall (especially the RZA track for me), and given how solid and engaging Blake's voice and songs are this time around, they can seem a little pointless.
Despite that, the feel of Overgrown is a great and welcome surprise. Where Blake could easily have made a money grab and gone more towards the Thom Yorke/Bon Iver side of things, further distancing himself from his original followers, he seems to have found a firm landing of his own design to balance the various aspects of his talent, interest, and strengths. One of the heaviest tracks, "Digital Lion," features Brain Eno as co-writer, and is a perfect example of the beauty created across the boards here: stuttering percussion, throbbing bass, cutup vocal snips, layers of live voice, and then the drop... ahhh, it's so good. His melodic phrasing is sweet throughout, sometimes simply humming the melody instead of singing, and he varies how and when he uses his charming voice. Where his vocals sometimes could get a little trite on the debut, here he sounds learned, skillful, and completely in control. There have been lots of artists who have learned a thing or two from Blake over the past few years, and with Overgrown he has once again created an album worth studying, and moreover worth simply listening to and enjoying. Fans of any of his previous work won't be disappointed, as well as those who have enjoyed recent releases from Darkstar, the xx, inc., Julia Holter, Laurel Halo, or How to Dress Well. So if you want an R&B/pop-influenced, electronic, bass-heavy, kinda dark, pleasantly restrained, song-based album, James is at the head of the pack, once again. So close to being perfect, oh so close. [DG] |
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