Break out your best set of headphones because post-dubstep act James Blake is back with his sophomore album, ‘Overgrown.’ Blake, who garnered widespread critical acclaim in 2011 with his self-titled debut, offers a seductive blend of R&B and dubstep while captivating listeners with brilliantly simple songwriting. Building on a somewhat spacey first album, Blake melds minimalist syncopated electronic rhythms with deep bass and a raw and soulful voice, delivering a heartbreaking and unforgettable record.
Blake has obviously explored the limits of his genre-bending sound, and has created a much more accessible and developed work with ‘Overgrown.’ For anyone unfamiliar with Blake’s work, imagine the natural and heartfelt vocal delivery of The XX or Bon Iver mixed with the unreal electronic sounds of Kanye West’s ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.’ This combination allows Blake to convey incredibly ethereal and haunting moods.
‘Overgrown’ opens with the title track, a brooding four and half minute ballad that is reminiscent of his 2010 “CMYK.” Blake sets the tone for the rest of his album with his signature mysterious melancholic sound that explodes into unsettling electronic chaos — the chorus with building vocal loops and soulful harmonies — before settling back into the serenity from which it came. With all this going on, Blake still manages to explore the motif of time with introspective lines like “I don’t want to be a star, but a stone on the shore,” which are reinforced by the repetitive and relentless nature of his delivery.
Although ‘Overgrown’ is less adventurous than his previous work, it still champions the musical explorations that distinguish Blake. “Take a Fall for Me,” featuring Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA, reminds listeners that Blake is capable of radical variety. Jumping in on a subtle down-tempo beat, bleak colorless piano and interesting pitch-shifted samples, RZA drops several forlorn verses that work well with the song’s distressed, mournful vibes.
The album transitions well into “Retrograde,” which is, without a doubt, the album’s highlight. The single’s soulful delivery layered on percussive claps clarify why Blake is often labeled neo-soul. A beautiful and poignant hummed vocal melody progresses into a climactic chorus in which Blake belts out soulful R&B lines and howls in upper registers never before heard on previous albums.
‘Overgrown’ is marked by progression, maturity and deep emotion — an overall great listening experience. Blake successfully channels his many diverse ideas into a final compatible product, while maintaining the originality and excitement that sets him apart. If you liked his first release, you’ll love ‘Overgrown.’
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