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A selection of hip-hop/R&B features (commonplace on any James Blake release since 2013) are peppered throughout the tracklist. Blake’s ear for angelic vocal harmonies carry over, and melancholy - as always - is the mood of choice. Think (much) less Bon Iver, (much) more Sam Smith.īut some threads to the past remain. Emotional lyricism and a strong sense of relatability power this latest batch of songs, moving Blake closer into the realm of brooding pop balladry. Across its 12 songs, Blake himself becomes the focus - the spacious, haunting soundscapes he once roamed like a ghostly specter have almost entirely receded, giving his choir-boy vocals and sincerity a chance to carry the weight. It’s a continuation of Blake’s declaration to “leave the ether,” a journey he set out on 2019’s Assume Form.
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“I’ve truly lost it this time,” he sings sweetly before the chorus, alluding to a connection he won’t let go of as he surveys the remains. Opener “Famous Last Words” gently drops listeners in on Blake floating through his feelings as he accounts for all the changes. The album recounts, in nonspecific terms, the fallout of various relationships that have come and gone. With Friends That Break Your Heart, the artist embraces this bona fide stardom like never before. Blake’s latest LP, Friends That Break Your Heart, seems to herald an entirely new era of sound - the flowery, temperate yet tame spring of his career.Ī heavily sought-after producer once cited as Kanye West’s favorite artist, Blake now works alongside the industry mainstays who desired his collaborative touch. 10 years later, the now LA-based artist is at his most grounded, and the accompanying sonic shifts - while gradual - could not feel more pronounced. In 2011, the music of then-emerging English musician James Blake could be perfectly described as the meticulous, mournful sound of lonely winter.