James Blake shows musical strength through emotional vulnerability on ‘Assume Form’
On his fourth studio album, award-winning producer, James Blake sets an example for men struggling to show vulnerability.
Cascading pianos set to throbbing bass and soaring vocals are James Blake’s forte, but on Assume Form we see him attempt to use these tropes for another purpose. Breaking emotional boundaries. Blake fans have come to appreciate his emotionally complex and experimental approach to electronic music on past releases like Overgrown and The Colour in Anything. Over time he has cemented his sonic style as tastefully overcast and moody however it seems his move to LA and expanding relationship with Jameela Jamil seems to have lifted the clouds over his music for now. On his move to LA, Blake said the following:
It’s been a peaceful place for me to take some time, to stop the noise of my mind.
Sweet and Sour:
Assume Form is by no means a bright, poppy album. It is still soaked in minor key harmonies and low swelling synthesisers, but there is a distinct veering towards uplifting instruments and more optimistic lyrics. He’s found a way to take his strengths and angle them in a direction that is both fresh and familiar. Bitter and Sweet. Maybe even a little nostalgic at times. The title track, Assume Form, perhaps captures this tone best. It opens fresh and clean with trickling piano keys but as more layers are added they clash with the optimistic setup, leaving you conflicted but strangely satisfied. What makes this album fantastic is the way each song passes this mantle.
A whole ass album:
In the age of intermissions, James Blake has delivered one meaty record. Every song on the album could stand-alone and stand-out. It is not often that musicians deliver whole albums consisting exclusively of completed singles over 3 minutes. There are no intermissions, skits, introductions or outros. It’s all that good good music baby. For this reason, it may be a lot more difficult for you to find your favourite song on the album because there is no compromise for quality. Every song demands your attention.
But what does Assume Form mean?
Based on the lyrics in the first track, it appears the album gets its name from Blake’s new found drive to pull himself together and open his heart for love. He describes this change of heart in the following powerful verse:
I will assume form. I’ll leave the ether. I will just fall and be beneath her. I will be touchable. I will be reachable because I can already see that this goes deeper.
As touching as it is, it’s also very timely. With the outrage after the new Gillette commercial, we need to see more male celebrities lead the way in the expanding definition of what it means to be a man. We can pull ourselves together by pulling our emotions apart. We can be vulnerable and happy. And most of all, we can make a damn good album doing it.
