James Blake is force to be reckoned with.
His music is layered with complex electronic melodies and haunting vocals. I have been listening to him for a while now, and I was very surprised to see him as a featured artist on Beyonce’s new Lemonade album. After listening to him on “Forward” with Beyonce, I decided to check in and see if he had any new music. Lo and behold he does.
The Colour in Anything is James Blake’s fourth studio album. It is a bit of a continuation of his other albums, more reminiscent of a long saga than anything. You can hear the wheels of creativity turning on each track. While it may not have the sound of most mainstream music, it has a strange and hypnotic appeal to it. Blake has such a vast musical sound, you can hear elements of hip hop and experimental pop all throughout the album.
One of my favorite tracks on the album is “My Willing Heart”. The song is held together with a nice in-the-pocket drumbeat and strategically placed piano chords. The lyrics are an ode to the age-old question of knowing, “When is love here?”
“Points” is a track that can’t go un-mentioned. The song is a bit of a goodbye letter. It’s sung like a selection for a funeral, being held for a relationship that could have been more. It’s one of the more memorable songs on the album.
“The Colour in Anything” is the title track of this album. It’s a ballad with gospel influenced chords. The song allows you to take a moment to sit back and take a break from the other more produced tracks on the album.
While this album is interesting, it is not one I can see my self consistently listening to. At least not in the same way that I listened to Blake’s Overgrown album . That album has a special place in my heart. I will have to give this album a C-, but I will still keep my ear open for new James Blake music. I hope to see more artistic growth In the future .
