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“Can’t Believe the Way We Flow” makes good use of a soul sample and a bit of melody nicked from John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy.” “Tell Them,” “Barefoot in the Park,” and “Where’s the Catch?” showcase Blake’s utility as a collaborator, as he matches excellent performances from Moses Sumney, Rosalia, and André 3000. The melodies and arrangements are drippy in ways that work both for and against Blake. The album’s instincts are noble, but the execution isn’t always as strong as the convictions.
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His ace concern is how to be a more attentive lover. Assume Form is an exercise in dropping Blake’s aloof veneer, in writing songs that tell stories, where they preferred to serve puzzles.Īssume Form’s title track is a mission statement: “I will assume form / I’ll be out of my head this time / I will be touchable by her / I will be reachable.” Blake’s writing more directly now. He’s an in-demand beat-maker for A-list pop and rap stars. He’s in a relationship and happy to gush about it.
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Listeners who couldn’t crack the lyrics latched onto the lonesome quality in the tone of his voice and labeled him a sad sack, an accusation he resists so much that his career seems like a concerted effort at quieting it. “If I try to write to-the-point like Laura Marling, it’s too much exposure,” he once told Dazed. The result was a little inviting and a little chilly, like a robot glee club singing church hymns. Blake seemed inscrutable, unknowable, and impossibly sad in songs like “The Wilhelm Scream” and “I Never Learnt to Share.” His voice was disembodied and angelic his production warped, layered, and digitized it to abstraction. The jump from the thoughtful beat construction of early EPs like CMYK and Klavierwerke to the dizzying vocal manipulation and baroque arrangements of his 2011 self-titled debut album is astounding, and the mainstream traction it garnered the artist is still surprising because his interests ran so counter to pop music’s never-ending pursuit of relatability. James Blake’s career trajectory feels like a coup. Future, the gravelly Atlanta crooner in the middle of an impressive hot streak, proves his mettle once more with The WIZRD. Winsome British singer-producer James Blake, who got his start making smart, dubstep-adjacent dance music a decade ago and has inched closer to renown as a traditional singer-songwriter ever since, released Assume Form, his most direct and upbeat collection to date. Two of music’s most singular voices released new albums this month. XXXTentacion sounded young, angry, and scarred and resonated powerfully among people who feel the same. Drake’s low, workmanlike rasp can relay resignation (“God’s Plan,” “Too Much”) or longing (“Take Care,” “Company”). The impactful vocalists of this decade are increasingly the least traditional ones.
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But the voices that make it into the national consciousness are vehicles for peculiar tones and personalities. Karaoke and open-mic nights brim with vocalists who have a strong handle on both, and they’re a marvel to watch. It takes more than deep breaths and steady pitch to be a great singer. Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images/FilmMagic