Back To Bedlam - James Blunt > Reviews > Goodbye My Lover, Goodbye My Friend

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Definitely a cut above the rest
Lyrics	Thought-provoking
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Not applicable
Value for Money	Good

Advantages:	A solid debut with some excellent tracks, There is certainly talent here
Disadvantages:	A Couple of weak tracks, You're Beautiful was played to death on the radio

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

There have been a number of albums that have stood out for me over the last year. One of the most prominent has to be James Blunt's debut album, Back To Bedlam. James recently out of the army released the album off the back of the hit single "You're Beautiful". While his debut single was played to death by the likes of Radio 1, I decided to buy his album and find out if James was a one hit wonder on an artist here to stay. For me avoiding the radio as much as possible has meant that I can still appreciate his first single and likewise the rest of the album as I haven't been force fed it over and over again.

This seems to be a factor in Radio friendly songs and it does taint some people's enjoyment of certain bands and songs. With James however my only experience of him on the radio was during the introductory phase as my Car Radio packed in not long after I purchased the album. On the whole I have been incredibly impressed by his first effort. There are a couple of weaker tracks on it but for an album that was recorded in various Bedrooms and Bathrooms it is a decent album, that announces his arrival on the music scene.

My introduction to James came about the same time as I discovered Elliott Smith and KT Tunstall. All 3 artists have a pretty similar style and it's that folky rock approach that drew me to each of those artists. My favourite of the 3 is without doubt Elliott Smith, but James and his debut come a close second. There is plenty of potential in this album and his next album should see his sound mature and as more life experiences turn to song his second album will contain a slightly different sound.

I am a huge fan of guitar driven music and I feel that artists like James who create well crafted acoustic tracks certainly have a place on the British music scene. There is an underlying theme within James's tracks of lost love and although a few of these tracks are still quite rough, this seems to add to his appeal. With a slow tempo and a folk sound akin to his more recognizable contemporaries such as Damien Rice and David Gray. It seems odd likening James to Damien who himself was in this position only two years earlier, but both seem to share a love of music and convey it beautifully through their songs.

James of course will be best remembered for his singles and in particular "You're Beautiful", there are however a number of better songs on this album. The likes of "Goodbye My Lover" convey a very touching side to Blunt's music and the slow looping pianos on this track seem to compliment his spoken lyrics perfectly. There is also a recognizable feeling within the track that I'm sure most people have felt at one time or another during their lives. It is quite a slow track but that seems to add to the impact of the lyrics and the overall effect of the track on the listener.

He didn't write the album on his own and James is honest enough to admit that he did receive a bit of help along the way. I felt though that despite the input of songwriters such as Guy Chambers and Linda Perry, there is a nice underlying feeling to his work. The lyrics come across as being straight from the heart and the majority of Chambers and Perry's input was on the musical side of the album. I think this has given James a direction that he would have been lacking had he tried to create the album on his own. I also feel that because of this it will have made him a better musician and help him with further work's.

There are a number of stand out tracks on the album and despite a couple of weaker numbers I think James will be very pleased with the outcome. My favourite track would probably be "So Long, Jimmy". It is a little more upbeat than a lot of the other tracks on the album but it has a nicely constructed chorus and a decent verse that keeps time between the guitar and a gentle drum back beat. The vocals also add to the track and it comes across as a relaxing track with a lot of soul and feeling behind it.

I did mention a few weaker tracks, but that's not to say they are bad songs. For instance I would actually consider You're Beautiful to be one of the weaker songs on the album, but it has got the hook and gives a nice taster of what James is all about. It's towards the end that I felt the album started to slide off a little. Both "Cry" and upcoming single "No Bravery" are quite good songs but they seem a little bit like filler. The pace certainly drops towards the end of the album and although I think both would make decent B sides and are average album track's, it's a bit of a let down that "No Bravery" is going to be a single.

Overall this is a decent debut album for Mr Blunt. He will find it hard to shake "You're Beautiful" as it is the track everyone knows him for. I fell however that he has a lot better to offer on this album and there will be a lot more to come. As far as acoustic artists go he is certainly holding his own along side the current batch of stars like Daniel Powter. This album proves that James should be here for a while and isn't just living off one decent song. The album is made up of better tracks and I'd certainly say it was worth buying if you do like any of the tracks he has released or even if you are a fan of artists such as David Gray and Damien Rice. As debut albums go this is certainly a good one.

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