James Blake - James Blake
James Blake is the Justin Vernon of Europe.
Like Vernon, Blake frequently utilizes autotune. Blake also has a similar voice to Vernon, and many of the tracks off James Blake sound like songs from Volcano Choir’s Unmap and GAYNGS’ Relayted. Blake’s voice also has a hint of Antony Hegarty.
Some have called James Blake dull. Rather, it is not appreciated for what it is, a beautiful, purposefully down-tempo album. The album has a minimalist feel, especially evident on Blake’s cover of Feist’s “Limit To Your Love”, already minimal in its original incarnation. This minimalism leads to a poignancy, captivating the listener to want more and more of this audial orgasm.
Following up a trifecta of stellar EPs, James Blake is merely the start of something big. Blake is only 22 years old, and has the potential to be one of music’s leading innovators and trendsetters. I am already anticipating his next output.
My rating - 9.7/10.
