Another triumph of the averagely underwhelming over the life affirming. This screams “hey look at me I’m into James Blake, I must be important/the definition of cool/knowledgeable about music/hip and dying to be liked (delete where appropriate)” Instead of over hyped and insipid electronica.

The music is fucking good. How about that?

What?, so I’m not allowed to express an opinion now? How about that?

But seriously. Of ALL things to hype, why James Blake?

Maybe because Burial kind of disappeared and critics need a new hero?

(Burial is actually good though)

….or maybe people are so desperate to look cool instead of actually enjoying music in the first place. Would the people who bought the James blake album, defend the consistency of all the music therein to the bitter end? I’m not so sure. Take the Mark Hollis solo LP which Blake seems to have ‘borrowed’ some ideas from. That album (which was released at least 8 years ago) is similar but yet so much more than the sum of it’s parts, due to the soul and honesty of the music. I don’t get that same feeling in this guy’s work. In fact, where is the soul?

agreed. JB’s done some nice tunes on the various EPs he’s released, and bits of this album are nice enough, but all the hyperbolic praise bemuses me… nothing particularly amazing. It has moments, but as dawntreader says, how many of the people currently salivating would defend this music to the bitter end?

seems to me that a lot of people feel like they ‘should’ like James Blake right now.

The single most amazing thing about James Blake is the amount of breathless hype he’s getting! and i really like this kind of shit.

Nobody really cares that you dont get it. A lot of us do.

“….or maybe people are so desperate to look cool instead of actually enjoying music in the first place.”

presumption of others motivation for listening.
ignorance (?) of the fact that taste is subjective.
surely you cant be serious.

considered the possibility that people are into it because they like it?
ha.ha.ha.

“….or maybe people are so desperate to look cool instead of actually enjoying music in the first place.”

Wouldn’t you say that this desperateness to appear “cool” is also on your words? I mean… NOT liking someone many like, is wannabe-special too, isn’t it?

Actually, i agree with you on James Blake review. I really like his LPs, Singles and his Album but i got sick of everyone saying “oh my God! I love him!” without really understanding what it is that he does musically… BUT, you went even further and maybe crossed the thin line between pure objective critisism and wannabe-coolness too…

P.S.: I’m terribly sorry about my English, i know i could express myself better if we were discussing in my language, so don’t judje me depending on the way i use English. Anyway…

“….or maybe people are so desperate to look cool instead of actually enjoying music in the first place.”

presumption of others motivation for listening.
ignorance (?) of the fact that taste is subjective.
surely you cant be serious.

considered the possibility that people are into it because they like it?
ha.ha.ha.”

Yes, I have considered the fact that people may genuinely like it. Did I mention them? no. Your arrogance to assume superiority over my expressed views shows your ignorance and lack of understanding of the subject matter. just because I expressed an opinion (and I’ll keep referring to that thanks) Doesn’t mean I’m presuming anything, my opinion isn’t important, the fact that I have stuck my head above the parapet doesn’t mean I asked you to fire arrows at me.. Besides ‘presumption’ is the mother of all accidents. I merely question motivation, not taste or subjectivity. Perhaps you need to digest my view on the subject, before you write an ill inforrmed reply. I love arguments like this, people on the internet on an illegal site arguing about free music that they are patently downloading! I didn’t come here to download this music. I don’t like it. I came here to spark a debate.

“Nobody really cares that you dont get it. A lot of us do.”

Thank you. This is a prime example of the kind of reply I expected. You Teej are a fool, I don’t care that you don’t care that ‘I’ don’t get it. Do you get it?

Oh dawntreader I love your educated rhetoric.

James Blake’s music is really very boring indeed. He’s hardly what you’d call an even average singer.
Perhaps my cat could make a concept album, it certainly has a better voice.

C’mon. There’s tons of better new and exciting artists and music out there. Get your fucking heads out of your arses and do some digging!!!

I’ll say one thing about JB, his music inspires debate, other than that his album BLOWS. That is my completely subjective opinion and if you don’t like it PISS OFF.

I agree with that, if only ‘cos his fuckin’ music’s been rammed down our gullets by a piss poor, over excitable and cliquey media.

love it when the irrelevant becomes relevant.

YOU SHALL DO WHAT NME TELLS YOU! ….. ;)

the links are broken

Came across Blake online and through Diplo funnily enough.
If you heard it through bloody NME or the radio and blame them for over hyping blake then it’s your own stupid fault, that’s clearly the way the media has and always will work, possibly it’s time to get over it.

Can’t stand these haters dissing his tunes, they may not be life changing Phillip Glass master pieces or even that good really lol but it’s bloody hard to produce music like this consistently, even if you find it boring.
If you’re not a producer and you don’t like his music, why even bother to comment? And to be honest, who cares what the cool kids think?

Ironically, now the cool thing seems to be dissing these kind of artists; you haters are essentially the cool kids now, so, does it satisfy you cool kids to hate on a process you most likely know nothing about?

If so then continue being ridiculous losers.