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Summary:
The latest full-length studio release from James Blake is his first with no guest artists.
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- Record Label: Polydor
- Genre(s): Electronic
- More Details and Credits »
Score distribution:
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Positive: 15 out of 18
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Mixed: 3 out of 18
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Negative: 0 out of 18
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Oct 23, 2023The oddly beautiful instrumental title track, which is a gentle, simple melody played on a keyboard that sounds like a combination of a computerized church organ and a ghostly merry-go-round — and perfectly evokes the digital spirituality of its title, and the contrasts of where James Blake the artist is at this point in his always-explorative musical career.
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Sep 7, 2023Despite – and seemingly deliberately - not carrying the widespread immediacy of more recent releases, it presents James as he currently stands; at once nostalgic and forward-thinking, and firmly back behind the decks.
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Sep 7, 2023While this may not become your favorite James Blake album instantly, it is one that toes the delicate line of pleasing the world while staying true to yourself. Playing Robots Into Heaven is a snapshot of Blake’s ambitions while still sounding present and urgent.
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Sep 15, 2023This album won’t be for everyone, but it’s quite the trip.
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Sep 21, 2023Recapturing the creativity that made his work stand out in the U.K. club scene around the turn of the 2010s, Playing Robots into Heaven is some of the most honest work of Blake's career.
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Sep 7, 2023The majority of Playing Robots Into Heaven is still very good, but the album is missing the skyscraping highs of past tracks like “The Wilhelm Scream” or “Retrograde”, and its cohesiveness is hampered by a few lesser songs that have slipped past the slackened quality control department.
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Sep 7, 2023With skills and interests cemented across various styles, he’s figuring out in real time exactly what he does best – providing floor fillers to club crowds or elevating his performances through complex production. Perhaps when he sings, “Where are my wings? / they’re loading”, the artist is acknowledging that he’s still to assume his most resolute form yet.
Score distribution:
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Positive: 1 out of 1
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Mixed: 0 out of 1
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Negative: 0 out of 1
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Sep 9, 2023
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