In 2011, James Blake put out one album, two EPs and three singles. That's 29 tracks or nearly three times his 2010 production. I've argued here at length why Blake is an electronic savant, a dubstep wunderkind, but at some point, tripling your artistic output (all while touring, which Blake has in '11) is going to have diminished returns, right?
The last time I discussed Blake in this space was back in June, on the cusp of his "Linesfarne" single release. Since then, he dropped the Order / Pan 12", the Enough Thunder EP and his latest, the Love What Happened Here EP. Each effort continues Blake's mercurial trend of shifting sounds and ideologies, but he's finally reached a point where some material returns to the well.
Note: this isn't a slight against his songwriting. If anything, some fans would prefer Blake to stay in the same mold for more than three songs or even return the R&B sampling of the CMYK EP.
Starting with the most recent product, Love What Happened Here finds Blake drawing on the avant-garde electronic stuttering of his earliest releases, reminiscing the Air & Lack Thereof 12" and Bells Sketch EP, minus the dubstep decibles.
Order / Pan is an oddity in Blake's discography. Released after his eponymous LP, it's a two-track single that finds James tempering any and all pop leaning, toying with space and silence, and exploring his most experimental affections.
Enough Thunder is an interesting combination of Blake's piano balladry and the abstract sampling of his Klavierwerke EP. Rounding out the EP's four original compositions are a beautiful Joni Mitchell cover as well as a Bon Iver collaboration that sounds like you'd expect.
In all, they're three very different experiences which mostly answer my leading question. Despite the dearth of new material, Blake manages to sample the right chords and deliver songs that hold up the weight of his discography thus far. Though some sigh that he's mostly abandoned his early, dubstep leanings, Blake remains an electronic composer conjunctively using his voice and laptop in ways we hadn't heard yet. It's a shame his debut album isn't making a bigger dent on the "Best Albums of 2011" lists we see cropping up on the web...
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James Blake - We Might Feel Unsound
James Blake - At Birth
James Blake - Fall Creek Boys Choir (feat. Bon Iver)
James Blake - A Case of You (Joni Mitchell Cover)
James Blake - Pan
MediaFire Link: Download a complete ZIP of all three new releases discussed above.
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