![]() Even though many critics aren’t a massive fan of this album, I can assure you that I think the absolute opposite. I just remember downloading the album onto my little blue iPod, and listening to every song, every single day, for months and months. I was a little late to this one, as I only started listening to it a decade after it was released, but with that being said, my child and current self are so thankful for this masterpiece, as it seriously ‘got me through it all’. Thank you, thank you, thank you, for writing your album Back to Bedlam. Blunt recounts his harrowing experiences as part of the NATO peacekeeping force in Kosovo on the closer, "No Bravery," and it's a shock to hear all of the romantic lyricism that informed Bedlam up to this point reduced to "Old men kneel and accept their fate/Wives and daughters cut and raped/A generation drenched in hate," but it's damn effective - as is the majority of this fine debut.Paulina – James Blunt, Back To Bedlam (2004) It's a pace that would sink some records, but Bedlam's perfectly rendered, under-40-minute run time ensures that the listener doesn't suffer from a melancholic overdose. Opening track "High" sets a determined mid-tempo pace that rarely wanes - it's like an acoustic version of "Drive" by the Cars with a Coldplay chorus. Predictable but effective four-chord guitar motifs are the chosen vehicle for the ex-Royal Armed Forces soldier, and when they connect ("Wiseman," "Goodbye My Lover," "You Are Beautiful"), it's like a "Dear John" letter from a lover who you know will remain a close but ultimately guarded friend. ![]() ![]() ![]() While his parched and effeminate falsetto recalls Gasoline Alley-era Rod Stewart with a healthy dose of Antony and the Johnsons, it's the late Elliott Smith who casts the largest shadow on Back to Bedlam. Soulful British crooner James Blunt's wistful debut infuses the listener - in this order - with rainy-day hope, the wistful comfort of unattainable love, and finally, world-weary resignation. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |