James Blake
by James Blake
User Score
8.3

Universal acclaim- based on 171 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 148 out of 171
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 171
  3. Negative: 7 out of 171
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  1. Hackskeptic
    Mar 4, 2011
    6
    There's an overriding impression that Blake is trying desperately hard to create an album of sonic originality, but textured calculations, modernist machine beats and vocoders can't replace traditional songwriting, of which there's simply not enough of on this debut
  2. Stuie
    Feb 9, 2011
    4
    This album was over hyped and is now overrated. Its not really a bad album just completely boring. I will agree with everyone and say that the production is great but that's it. The autotune really doesn't do anything for me and in most cases it makes the songs worse. This album is really nothing more than slowed down Dubstep with heavy R&B influences. On "The Wilhelm Scream" I swear heThis album was over hyped and is now overrated. Its not really a bad album just completely boring. I will agree with everyone and say that the production is great but that's it. The autotune really doesn't do anything for me and in most cases it makes the songs worse. This album is really nothing more than slowed down Dubstep with heavy R&B influences. On "The Wilhelm Scream" I swear he even sounds like Aaron Nevil. Its not surprising that the best song on the album is the cover of Feist's "Limit to your Love", but even on the best track Blake had to add in weird pauses that really disrupt the flow of the song. Like I said before over hyped and overrated. Just a splattering of experimental music done in a minimalistic style. Nothing overly special.… Expand
  3. ramona
    Dec 21, 2011
    4
    I found this album boring and full of useless electronic arrangements that makes this album unpleasant. In my opinion this album is extremely overrated and I can't see any future in this artist.
  4. LuizCC
    Jul 30, 2012
    4
    I really tried to like this album. After two full listens, I found myself floating inside an utterly boring record, with uninspired melodies and poor produced songs. The only positive view I could give is about the high level of Blake's songwriting and his voice, that has a special tone within. But, it is still one of the most over-hyped albums of past year.
  5. clem666
    Oct 29, 2021
    6
    I fell in love with James Blake only in 2019 when he released the (nearly) excellent 'Assume Form'. I listened to his eponymous album in order to take a look to his deepest roots. Obviously the major and infectious hit 'Limit to Your Love' already got me. I couldn't predict this song were the only one in its category on James Blake's album.

    Here the artist is far more experimental as he    I fell in love with James Blake only in 2019 when he released the (nearly) excellent 'Assume Form'. I listened to his eponymous album in order to take a look to his deepest roots. Obviously the major and infectious hit 'Limit to Your Love' already got me. I couldn't predict this song were the only one in its category on James Blake's album.

    Here the artist is far more experimental as he continues to blur the lines separating popular genres as dubtep, R&B, alternative pop, ambient electro and pure instrumental ballads. Of course he tone, his singing and song-writing remain as notable as amazing, but the overall level of repetitivity in this record made me lower the score. All along it seems like something meaningul, terrific or gigantic is about to come but eventually never happens. So frustrating. For example, 'The Wilhelm Scream' and 'Unluck' appear to be two songs based on a never-ending crescendo. 'I Mind' is surprising at first glance but to me it ended up being very hard to listen to from the beginning to the end. Repetitiveness is the biggest flaw here and totally ruined songs as 'I Never Learnt To Share', 'To Care (Like You)', 'I Mind' (again) or 'Lindisfarne II'. Yet they were very pleasant tracks during my first approach of the record.

    Many tracks sounds unstructured, drafty, and surely it is what Blake wanted to reach but to me we are in a messy part of experimental music. Can't help but thinking the singer wasted some of his potential here.    … Expand

Awards & Rankings

99
#99 Best Album of 2011
45
#45 Most Discussed Album of 2011
3
#3 Most Shared Album of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
81

Universal acclaim - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. The Wire
    Apr 28, 2011
    80
    Like Portishead, this album may very well achieve background ubiquity, but that should not be allowed to obscure the strangeness and currency of this record. [Mar 2011, p.46]
  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Apr 8, 2011
    75
    An intriguing concept, not always fully realized. [1 Apr 2011, p.77]
  3. Mojo
    Apr 6, 2011
    80
    London singer-songwriter attempts to annex the middle ground between Benga and Anthony Hegarty. [March 2011, p. 96]
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