"I always keep a stimulant handy in case I see a snake - which I also keep handy" - W. C. ...
"I always keep a stimulant handy in case I see a snake - which I also keep handy" - W. C. Fields
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So, a dark haired male solo singer leaves the Army and releases an album. We've heard this all before, although that's the only comparison you're ever likely to see between James Blunt and Elvis Presley. Even this is a tenuous link, as Elvis was already a huge recording star before being conscripted into the Army, whereas Blunt wrote most of the songs on his debut album "Back to Bedlam" whilst seeing active service and left the Army to become a star.
Having been trusted enough in his previous profession to have been allowed to guard the Queen; he has reached the top of the album charts with this release, proving that a jack of all trades can be a master of all, with enough talent and effort. If the British Army is as good at fighting as James Blunt is as a musician, we call all sleep easy in our beds.
Blunt's debut begins with "High". It's a laid back pop ballad, with Blunt's vocals over the top. It starts off as if it's going to be an acoustic number, but soon expands into something that is a little more indie-pop. This combination of indie-pop with a soaring vocal over the top is reminiscent of Jeff Buckley, although Blunt's vocals aren't quite as smooth or as impressive as Buckley's.
The first single from the album was "You're Beautiful" and if you've seen the album advertised on TV, this will be the song you'll have heard a snippet from. The acoustic guitar over the start has a laid-back Latin influence and sounds like it could be the theme from a TV holiday program, but the
song is again another fairly basic pop ballad with the vocals leading on, which again draws comparison with Jeff Buckley.
"Wisemen" has an almost R 'n' B feel to the intro, being something that you could imagine a TLC song starting with. The vocals sound a little like Mark Owen's more recent solo efforts, but it's a laid back down-tempo pop track, although the vocals aren't quite as soaring this time around. This is one of my personal favourites on the album
After so many of the songs sound like they could have been borrowed from Jeff Buckley, even the title of "Goodbye My Lover" sounds like one of his. Despite using a piano intro rather than the guitar, the song as a whole is very like Buckley again, being a simple pop ballad with Blunt's voice being the main instrument. Even the lyrics seem to have the same yearning as Buckley's this time around.
"Tears & Rain" is a little more polished that the previous track, being a little more up tempo and with the guitar giving the song a less severe sound than "Goodbye My Lover". However, it does follow much the same template as the previous, being a down tempo pop ballad, although there are hints of Coldplay's sound in here, especially as the vocals are less prominent.
There's an organ leading "Out of my Mind", which gives the song quite a lush albeit laid back sound, although it soon expands more into an indie-pop kind of song, which is perhaps even more like Coldplay than "Tears & Rain". However, it's again a song with the vocals mostly up front, at least in the verses, although the music overpowers them in the chorus, making this one of the louder and least effective songs on the album.
"So Long Jimmy" has a kind of pop-R 'n' B sounding intro, much like "Wisemen", but this continues throughout the song this time around. It's quite a jaunty little track, being slightly more up-tempo than most on the album, with a foot tapping rhythm and a slightly rockier chorus. The vocals aren't as marked this time, either, which gives the song a more rounded feel and made it my favourite track from the very first time of hearing.
There's a slightly funky organ intro to "Billy", which gives it quite a retro sound. Blunt's vocals sound a little like Rod Stewart in the early verse as well, which combines well with the music. It's a jaunty, summery sounding mid-tempo pop tune, particularly in the chorus, and another one of my personal favourites.
"Cry" is a darker sounding tune, with the guitar having a reverb that brings to mind Duane Eddy's 1960s style. It's a more mournful sounding song than many that have gone before and the vocals seem to sound a little like Mark Owen again at a couple of parts although, unfortunately, they are a little buried by the music at points, which makes this just a pop ballad with few redeeming features.
It wouldn't be a surprise to find that Blunt had been inspired to write something about his time in active service with the Army and "No Bravery" is that song. It's again a haunting, piano-led pop ballad, with a hard hitting lyrical message. The song itself is very simply done, with the message more important than the music. Unfortunately, some of the effects later in the song take away from the vocals, which is a shame as it's mostly a decent way to close a decent album, with hints of Jeff Buckley coming through again.
At only 39 minutes long, this is quite a short album by today's pop standards, being more the length of a pop-punk album. However, because a lot of the songs are down tempo, it does seem to last longer than the playing time. It's an album that you can put on in the background and have playing whilst you're doing other things, but it's also an album that could stand up should you care to concentrate on it.
There are obvious comparisons to be drawn with Jeff Buckley as, much like Buckley's "Grace" album, the songs are quite simply put together and it's the vocal that sticks out more than anything else. This album isn't as polished as Buckley's "Grace", but there are enough similarities for fans of that album to enjoy this one.
That said, however, one of Blunt's greatest failings is that there isn't enough variation in his style. Sure, there are a few different sounds, but for the most part, it's an album full of down-tempo songs and the one constant is Blunt's vocal, which is pretty impressive, but does get on your nerves a bit after a while. Whilst this is an album that can delight when you first hear it, it's not one that stands up to repeated playing, as familiarity with Blunt's voice does breed contempt.
It's not a party album, it's unlikely to be one that's listened to for pleasure, at a party of getting yourself up for a night out. This is a Sunday afternoon album - one that goes on whilst you take time to reflect. It fits in nicely with the more considered approach many bands have taken to making pop music of late.
It's still a fairly new album, so it's not easy to find cheap copies in too many places. Although copies have been seen on eBay from around 50p, it's more commonly available for around £8.99, with Amazon and CD Wow charging about this amount, with Play.com being only slightly cheaper at £7.99 and even the Amazon Marketplace offering a best price of £6.28.
However, some things don't have a price. Although it's not as good, like Jeff Buckley's "Grace", this is an album for music lovers, if only for a short while. However, it delights me to know that this album reached the top of the UK album charts as, after years of bubblegum pop and rap/hip-hop selling by their millions in the UK, this gives me hope that the British public might, after all, have some taste. Add yourself to their number and buy, but buy cheaply when you can.
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Excellent review, but I dislike James Blunt. A comparison between him and Jeff Buckley? Unthinkable. The difference between peaches and tinned peaches. Pete.
sigmatech 26.11.2006 05:51
Your right this voice gets very irritating after about 10 mins hard to take a full album of the stuff, album too short,too long more like!
As a piece of propaganda, James Blunts albumBack to Bedlamdoes more for changing the face ... more
of the British Army than a series of television adverts ever could. Swapping a rifle for a guitar, the former cavalrymans ballad-heavy debut is a clearly aiming t...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
As a piece of propaganda, James Blunts album Back to Bedlam does more for changing the ... more
face of the British Army than a series of television adverts ever could. Swapping a rifle for a guitar, the former cavalrymans ballad-heavy debut is a clearly aiming...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
As a piece of propaganda, James Blunts albumBack to Bedlamdoes more for changing the face ... more
of the British Army than a series of television adverts ever could. Swapping a rifle for a guitar, the former cavalrymans ballad-heavy debut is a clearly aiming t...
Postage & Packaging: £1.21 Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days...
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
Advantages: a unique talent and flawless album Disadvantages: all the hype could put people off, and he has a unique voice that obviously isn't for everyone...
Nov 11th, 2005
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