James Blake- James Blake (2011) VBR

James Blake- James Blake

Year 2011

Tracks
1. Unluck 3:00
2. The Wilhelm Scream 4:34
3. I Never Learnt To Share 4:51
4. Lindisfarne I 2:42
5. Lindisfarne II 2:58
6. Limit To Your Love 4:37
7. Give Me My Month 1:53
8. To Care (Like You) 3:53
9. Why Don't You Call Me 1:33
10. I Mind 3:31
11. Measurements 4:20

In the spirit of Bon Iver we are shown again here that Dub Step, can not only hold its ground as a genre, but it can also have a soul. And boy does James Blake give it a heartbreaking one. Much like Beck's Sea Change, Blake weaves underlying tapestries of melancholy into beauty while also concocting very creative beats. The music is overall somber, sad, yet haunting and beautiful; Blake's voice does resemble Bon Iver, but it is also unique. It has a very rich quality, that is at times bluesy ("I Never Learnt to Share") and other times soulful ("Unluck") Personally I think Blake has Iver pretty well matched.
The album is also very well produced. It has been a while since I've found a truly great headphones album, and James Blake's debut fills the void perfectly. There is nothing like coming home at night from a hard day of work/school, turning on "The Wilhelm Scream" And just slipping out into space while staring at the dark ceiling. The more I think about it, the more this album lingers with me. The production is great, the album's atmosphere is mesmerizing, and James Blake has become one of my new favorite artists. Pre Order this one immediatly, whether you like the genre or not, it's one that deserves everyone's attention.