The Colour In Anything (LP)

"With a few EPs in 2010, James Blake introduced himself to the world as someone reworking the headaches of EDM into something far deeper under the (honestly, humorous) label post-dubstep. His ability to transpose pain and admiration through both keys and piano was heralded then, but it's now, here on The Colour In Anything, that Blake can pour his thoughts through something other than lyrics. Now that skinny British boy has found his soul, and that soul is hurting. Hearing him articulate its cracks and aches with such genuine sorrow, such throbbing beats, such tearful piano elicits nothing less than a heavy heart swaying in time to the bass. As with anyone complaining of love lost between pleas for it to return, it begins to become tiresome - no matter how smooth your voice may be. But Blake manages to make a whopping 17-song album transition seamlessly, holding your attention thanks to a careful execution of space between those very keys." - Consequence of Sound, A-

"As contemporary electronic music moves towards more caustic, crunchy, and self-referential tropes, Blake's music is almost resolutely old fashioned. It deploys auto-tune, expressive (bordering on Platonic) percussion, minimalist pianos, and throwback sub-bass warble and womps. He distills his influences of R&B, gospel, and the wide patina of British dance music in such strange and ineffable concoctions that it makes it difficult to not rewind certain chunks of drum breakdowns and airy synths continually." 8.2 (Best New Music) Pitchfork