In comparison to BlakeвЂ™s previous releases, many are likely to accuse the Londoner of wearing his heart on his sleeve, when in reality, itвЂ™s a more mature comfort with his songwriting process, unabashed, but polite, like the production on a track like вЂњPoints,вЂќ in which Blake warps his 'No longer'В hook over trap and dubstep afrobeats that build and swell with momentum in alarmingly smooth fashion. The production is as tight as ever, but somehow feels more fragile and wavering than quietly confident, a la Overgrown. Colour opens with a вЂњwhat might have beenвЂќ in вЂњRadio Silence,вЂќ and the once eponymous track turned solitary lead off exudes a singular glance into the now defunct direction that was Radio Silence, instead enacting a startlingly apologetic new Blake.

ItвЂ™s an offertory record that showcases a side of Blake that has long been underdeveloped вЂ“ the EnfielderвЂ™s most expressive and innermost musings вЂ“ subsequently breathing new life in BlakeвЂ™s career (not that it was ever really without it). Apparently, during the interim that was BlakeвЂ™s Radio Silence announcement and the eventual release of Colour, Blake had managed to write two tracks on BeyonceвЂ™s Lemonade (full circle!) вЂ“ вЂњForwardвЂќ and вЂњPray You Catch MeвЂќ вЂ“ along with heading out to Shangri La Studios to finish the record with much needed vigor from Duck Dynasty doppelganger Rick Rubin.Д¬olour came out of nowhere, but it wasnвЂ™t without excitement. In 2014, Blake originally announced that this new release would be titled Radio SilenceВ and was slated for release in early 2015, but as you're now reading this over a year past that date, it's quite apparent something got in the way, and whatever it was, BlakeвЂ™s reticent nature certainly did not lend itself to buoyant reverie amongst fans (though it did, ironically, lead to literal radio silence).Д«lake had entered the Frank Ocean (a collaborator on the album) territory (but without the over zealous opining вЂ“ WHERE ARE YOU FRANK?) in terms of hotly anticipated releases, and there was nothing but confusion and perplexity for some time. Blake had canceled extensive tours in order to capitalize upon creative whims and fancies, which in turn developed a capricious grapevine of rumors and hearsay regarding whether Blake was merely taking extended measures to forge LP3. The Colour in Anything,В has been long overdue in the minds of critics and Blake fans alike. Rushmore вЂ“ Justin Vernon, Ezra Koenig, and Win ButlerВ being the other of the four stone heads вЂ“ released The Colour in Anything this past Friday, unannounced, but not totally unexpected вЂ“ two singles were released leading up to the albumвЂ™s release, creating a sort of pseudo promotional calendar. James Blake, one quarter of the 2010вЂ™s indie Mt. Needless to say, there is a glaring trend amongst the artists who elected to forgo the mundane predictability that typically coincides with name brand artists вЂ“ with many of them even going as far as debuting on the god-forsaken lost cause that is TIDAL вЂ“ and it appears the taste for purposeful inconsistency has grown more pervasive outside of hip-hop and pop now as well. First there was Rihanna, then YeezyвЂ™s TLOPshenanigans, Beyonce putting Jay-Z on blast in cinemascope, and Drizzy Drake releasing an un-essentially long collection of Toronto woe-odes last week. No doubt, you'll remember where you were when you heard tracks like 'Limit to Your Love' or 'I Never Learnt to Share' for the first time.2016 is on a fast track for the most GOAT-worthy 365(ish) days of music this decade, from immortal icons passing on to musical Valhalla, to an inordinate number of вЂњsurpriseвЂќ releases. You have to know the rules in order to break them with such conviction, and by daring to be different, James stands head and shoulders above his peers. Yet more than this, it is the shock of the new in James's music that's causing real commotion: the sounds, that voice, the silence, the rhythm (or lack of it), the waiting, the tension.

Whether intended for the FWD> dancefloor or, like new single 'Limit to Your Love', destined to melt hearts and prick ears, his music is characterised by a playful and arresting honesty, a human touch that, despite his status as a hugely in-demand DJ, naturally aligns him with contemporary artists such as Bon Iver or Laura Marling or the xx.

Although loosely tethered to the cutting edge of contemporary electronics, James's songs possess uncommon grace and soulfulness. James Blake James Blake James Blake's timeless self titled debut which features 'Limit To Your Love'.

James blake radio silence release date