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306 of 333 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magically Up Close & Personal, October 18, 2005
This stunning debut by James Blunt--a British soldier turned musician--will take your breath away; literally! Every single track on this beautiful release is lyrically multidimensional with incredible depth and addictive melodies. It's definitely the best release by a new artist this year hands down.
The ballad-heavy, Back to Bedlam, is romanticism reinvented. The ecstatic High starts off the album with James pleading, "Will you be my shoulder / when I am gray and older / promise me tomorrow starts with you."
It's followed by "You're Beautiful"--an ode to love that can't be had. Equally beautiful and heartbreaking as he sings, "But it's time to face the truth / I will never be with you."
"Wisemen", one of my favorite tracks, asks "Gotta ask yourself the question / where are yo now?" It's one of those
In the melancholic ballad "Goodbye my Lover", James pleads with his departed love to remember the good times they had together and try to be his friend. He ends it with the chilling, "I'm so hollow baby / I'm so hollow."
Then comes my favorite track in this release, "Tears and Rain", in which James wishes he could do away with all the demons in his head and soul; the conflicts that come with the simple act of living life. He even makes a reference to 'Dorain Gray"--Oscar Wild's alter ego character from The Picture of Dorian Gray. Absolutely solid track!
The album goes on with songs commenting on the craziness of life's affairs with "Out of my Mind" to infidelity with "Billy."
"Cry" and "No Bravery" are two emotionally packed tracks through which James tells us what he thinks of war. In "No Bravery" he goes:
"There are children standing here,
Arms outstretched into the sky,
Tears drying on their face.
He has been here.
Brothers lie in shallow graves.
Fathers lost without a trace.
A nation blind to their disgrace,
Since he's been here.
And I see no bravery,
No bravery in your eyes anymore.
Only sadness."
James Blunt's voice takes some time to get used to, but his passion, lyrics and music are irresistible. He is to 2005 what Damien Rice was to 2004: definitely the best new artist of the year!
I've never listened to an album so much since Keane's. It's guaranteed to satisfy regardless of what genre of music you are into.
I am still singing along!
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175 of 190 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Impressive debut album by James Blunt that is hard to define, but highly listenable, October 28, 2005
James Blunt spent a year in Kosovo as a soldier in the British Army, and that exposure of the horrors of strife and conflict inspired the emotional tenor of his work as an artist. The lyrics and melodies he wrote in his spare time from soldiering formed the genesis of his impressive debut album, Back to Bedlam. With a unique falsetto voice that fits perfectly with his acoustic guitar based melodies, Blunt creates a style that is parts folk, rock, pop, and indie, and eminently listenable.
The songs feel familar and comfortable at first listen, but what is interesting about Blunt is that his chords, melodies, and often lyrics veer in unpredictable directions, but with great results. Just when you think you know where the song is going, he changes it up a bit. That is the mark of a talented artist. Sonically, the songs are quite rich. The overall production values remind me a lot of Sarah McLachlan's: rich, deep, judicious use of strings and piano, and well crafted combination of instruments that juxatopose his unique voice. Some claim that Blunt as a songwriter envokes David Gray or John Mayer. I disagree, if anything I hear more of an Annie Lennox or Tracy Chapman, but with more melodic hooks.
Don't be suprised if you start hearing James Blunt popping up on television shows and radio everywhere. His music is accessible, enjoyable, and highly listenable, and if he can continue writing songs like High, Wiseman, So Long Jimmy, Goodbye My Lover, and No Bravery(which is heavily influenced by his experience in Kosovo), he will have a long career. Often #1 albums in Britain don't have the same appeal in the US, but if any album can crossover, this one can.
Note: This is listed as having explicit lyrics, mainly due to a pretty blatant F bomb in "you're beautiful." There weren't any others that I heard. If you find that word offensive, pick up the clean version, which has the radio/video edit
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A great album from start to finish, November 28, 2005
I went in search of the artist who sang "You're Beautiful" after an episode of ER featured it at the end of one of their shows.
While that song is great, it's not the best . The whole album is a nice blend of pop, folk, and an original sound I can't quite put my finger on. Flute, piano , and acoustic guitar, lend to different songs, each in a unique way.
I normally don't buy CDs , and would rather just download, but this was one I made an exception for. In today's day and age of quickly cranked out music by "artists" who don't even write their own music, it's nice to come across someone whose heart,soul, and life experiences, brings a visually vivid picture of the individual to his listeners.
This is one that some of the folks on my Christmas list will be getting in their stockings.
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