Overgrown

**James Blake’s second LP is a more assured effort than his first, balancing the experimental electronica of his instrumental EPs with the softer, piano-led ballads of his eponymous debut album. Apparently, on the advice of his father, the highlights on the album are now his own compositions and not reworkings of other artists’ songs (such as the hits ‘Limit To Your Love’ and ‘The Wilhelm Scream’, both from 2011) and fortunately his songwriting prowess matches his technical wizardry. _Overgrown_ never feels short of ideas.**

**James Blake** has often been noted for his penchant for occasional silences, but these appear more sparingly this time around. However, many of his hallmarks are still apparent; for example, the heavy, mumbled bass lines anchor otherwise brittle tracks such as ‘To The Last’ and ‘I Am Sold’, and harsh, fanfare-like synths are used to great emotive effect, especially in the climax of lead single ‘Retrograde’. His typically delicate and precisely-programmed percussion is a neat counterbalance to his often digitally deadened, reverb-heavy piano.

But there are some new additions to his sonic arsenal too, with varying results. The use of muffled strings at the end of the opening title track give the subject of surviving time’s relentless passage a melancholy grandeur, and the nigh-on-danceable, pounding drive of the latter half of ‘Voyeur’ (produced by **Brain Eno**, no less) mid-album is a forceful and affecting break from Blake’s usual down-tempo soulfulness. On the other hand, the inclusion of **Wu-Tang Clan**ster **RZA**’s rap on ‘Take A Fall For Me’ – possibly as a result of his recent friendship with **Kanye West** – feels, at least personally, like a bit of an incongruous misstep.

Mood-wise, Blake seems only slightly more content than he did two years ago, dealing lyrically with quiet, understated and cryptic declarations of love, but without the tendency towards self-pity that was present on his previous LP (case in point: ‘I Never Learnt To Share’). His expressive vocal range covers quavering falsetto as well as voice-cracking lower tones, often within the same track, giving the often pared-down, inorganic feel of his songs an intimate sincerity. Not that he is afraid to digitally modify his voice as well, which he manages à la **Radiohead**’s ‘Everything In Its Right Place’ without it seeming gimmicky or detracting from his frankness.

All in all, _Overgrown_ is a successful, logical progression from Blake’s previous efforts, marrying his passion for tender soul music with his roots as a technically adept dubstep DJ.

**Similar To:** Mount Kimbie, the xx

**MP3:** ‘Retrograde’, ‘Voyeur’