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Rating: Like it or not, "You're Beautiful" has been (in terms of radio play and sales) one of the biggest pop hits of the last twenty years.
The gentleman who sang it on the radio and TV a couple of years ago is named James Blunt. He is a singer-songwriter by profession and is twenty-seven years old. His debut album, from which the aforementioned song was taken, sold something like twelve and a half million copies worldwide and produced three other successful hits like "High," "Goodbye My Lover," and "Wisemen" (besides "No Bravery," released as a single only in France).
James is a former armored reconnaissance officer of the British Household Cavalry who served in Kosovo (he led thirty thousand troops in Pristina as the first officer); he also drew inspiration for the sounds and style of his pieces from this experience. Absolutely nothing original, let's be clear, but it must be said that his distinctive voice and the very personal view of his compositions make him immediately recognizable and appreciable; in essence, he offers an effective mix of pop-rock with folk overtones, favoring compositions with a sentimental and nostalgic bent. Certainly nothing cheerful, but the guy knows what he's doing, and with the new album "All The Lost Souls" (i.e., a case of "the title says it all"...) he hits the charts for the second time.
But what about the quality of the tracks, you ask? It's easy to say: we're essentially at the level of the first work, with a few fewer "flashes of genius" (or luck, depending on how you see it...), but a bit more cohesion and, above all, courage (not much, though).
"1973", surprisingly (for Blunt's average) lively and smooth, is a good start ("Simona/You're getting older" is already a must, with related mockery of the presenter of "Quelli Che..." during Blunt's guest appearance a few weeks ago), and it is the only vaguely lively track in the entire work along with "I'll Take Everything", nicely decisive with its sudden piano touches, and "Give Me Some Love", with classically British pop stylings. For the rest, we are faced with a record predominantly of typical Blunt ballads, above all the lovely "Same Mistake", which lingers in the vicinity of Coldplay's "The Scientist," even replicating its typical "uh-uh-uh uh uh uh" chorus, although here it is distributed throughout the track (and not just at the end).
In some places, James even dares, as in the strange "I Really Want You", perhaps the most interesting track on the album, where the Anglo-Saxon singer-songwriter lays his voice over a rhythmic base defined by a muffled but insistent acoustic guitar, plus delicate and alternating piano touches. It almost seems like a piece produced by Nigel Godrich, but obviously, it is not. Tracks like "One Of The Brightest Stars", "Carry You Home", "Shine On", and "Annie" don't give any particular jolts, whereas "I Can't Hear The Music" energetically closes the album.
"All The Lost Souls" is a perfectly average work, which does not explain the worldwide chart breakthrough of the English singer-songwriter but neither buries him at the level of any Jesse McCartney (ugh!).
It would be interesting to discover what good James can offer by daring a little more. Thanking him, meanwhile, for not boring us with a new "You're Beautiful."
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 1973 (04:44)
Simona
You're getting older
Your journey's been
Etched on your skin
Simona
Wish I had known that
What seemed so strong
Has been and gone
I would call you up every Saturday night
And we'd both stay out 'til the morning light
And we sang, "Here we go again"
And though time goes by
I will always be
In a club with you
In 1973
Singing "Here we go again"
Simona
Wish I was sober
So I could see clearly now
The rain has gone
Simona
I guess it's over
My memory plays out to
The same old song
I would call you up every Saturday night
And we'd both stay out 'til the morning light
And we sang, "Here we go again"
And though time goes by
I will always be
In a club with you
In 1973
Singing "Here we go again"
I would call you up every Saturday night
And we'd both stay out 'til the morning light
And we sang, "Here we go again"
And though time goes by
I will always be
In a club with you
In 1973
Singing "Here we go again"
I would call you up every Saturday night
And we'd both stay out 'til the morning light
And we sang, "Here we go again"
And though time goes by
I will always be
In a club with you
In 1973
Singing "Here we go again"
And though time goes by
I will always be
In a club with you
In 1973
03 I'll Take Everything (03:06)
Oooh, these feet carry me far
Oh, my body, oh so tired
Mouth is dry, hardly speak
Holy Spirit, rise in me
Here I swear
Forever is just a minute to me
And I'll take everything
In this life
I'll join everyone
When I die
Have my body
Have my mind
Have my coat
Take my time
These I borrow
Borrow so far
Turn to dust
Fall apart
Here I swear
Forever is just a minute to me
And I'll take everything
In this life
I'll join everyone
And understand
'Cause all men die
'Cause all men die
And I'll take everything
In this life
I'll join everyone
Since I'm gonna die
I'll take everything
In this life
I'll join everyone
'Cause all men die
04 Same Mistake (04:59)
Saw the world turning in my sheets
And once again I cannot sleep
Walk out the door and up the street
Look at the stars beneath my feet
Remember rights that I did wrong
So here I go
Hello, hello
There is no place I cannot go
My mind is muddy but
My heart is heavy does it show
I lose the track that loses me
So here I go
Oooooh (3x)
And so I sent some men to fight
And one came back at dead of night
Said he'd seen my enemy
Said he looked just like me
So I set out to cut myself
And here I go
Oooooh (3x)
I'm not calling for a second chance
I'm screaming at the top of my voice
Give me reason, but don't give me choice
Cause I'll just make the same mistake again
Oooooh
And maybe someday we will meet
And maybe talk and not just speak
Don't buy the promises cause
There are no promises I keep
And my reflection troubles me
So here I go
Oooooh (3x)
I'm not calling for a second chance
I'm screaming at the top of my voice
Give me reason, but don't give me choice
Cause I'll just make the same mistake...
I'm not calling for a second chance
I'm screaming at the top of my voice
Give me reason, but don't give me choice
Cause I'll just make the same mistake again
Oooooh (3x)
Oooooh, Saw the world turning in my sheets
Oooooh, And once again I cannot sleep
Oooooh, Walk out the door and up the street
Oooooh, Look at the stars
Oooooh, Look at the stars fall down
Oooooh, And I wonder where
Oooooh, Did I go wrong
07 I Really Want You (03:31)
Many prophets preach on bended knee
Many clerics wasted wine
Do the bloodied sheets
On those cobbled streets
Mean I have wasted time
Are there silver shores on paradise
Can I come in from the cold
I killed a man in a far away land
My enemy I'm told
I really want you to really want me
But I really don't know if you can do that
I know you want to know what's right
But I know it's so hard for you to do that
And time's running out as often it does
And often dictates that you can't do that
But fate can't break this feeling inside
That's burning up through my veins
I really want you
I really want you
I really want you now
No matter what I say or do
The message isn’t getting through
And you’re listening to the sound
Of my breaking heart
I really want you
I really want you
Is a poor man rich in solitude
Or will mother earth complain
Did the beggar pray for a sunny day but
Lady luck for rain
They say a million people bow and scrape
To an effigy of gold
I saw life begin
And the ship we're in
And history unfold
I really want you to really want me
But I really don't know if you can do that
I know you want to know what's right
But I know it's so hard for you to do that
And time's running out as often it does
And often dictates that you can't do that
But fate can't break this feeling inside
That's burning up through my veins
I really want you
I really want you
I really want you now
No matter what I say or do
The message isn't getting through
And you're listening to the sound
Of my breaking heart
No matter what I say or do
The message isn't getting through
And you're listening to the sound
Of my breaking heart
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By gabris87
No more syrupy and haunting ballads in pure Blunt style. Here we are faced with a real evolution, a truly remarkable musical change.
If this is the result of 6 months in Ibiza, I can’t even imagine what the heck you would have composed if you’d stayed at home.
