There is the sizable dose of the usual melancholy, but Assume Form is James Blake's most upbeat work to date. It is also blatantly his most mainstream effort yet, which is a bit odd to say of an artist that has collaborated with giants such as Kendrick Lamar and Beyoncé. The album is much more accessible and compact than it's predecessor. The Colour in Anything was an album with incredible highs, the album could have been edited a bit to form a shorter and more cohesive experience. That specific issue is not present on Assume Form.
Blake does not reach this new immediacy by disregarding quality. However, the album does wobble a bit towards the end, with the last third being noticeably less interesting than the rest. Additionally, there are moments that toe the line between meshing well and marring the mood, like the Travis Scott feature in "Mile High". Despite this, Assume Form has some of Blake's best songs. The title track opener has beautiful watery piano keys, strings and late on, the best aspect of Blake's singing, his falsetto. Two tracks later, Moses Sumney's equally impressive falsetto makes "Tell Them" a standout track.
The features here truly add a lot to the record, with Rosalía's stunning voice greatly enhancing "Barefoot in The Park." Right after, "Can't Believe The Way We Flow" is Blake at his most euphoric. Vocal samples mesh together to produce what is easily the sunniest song of Blake's career. The most notable of the features here is easily the elusive Andre 3000, who contributes a great verse to album highlight "Where Is The Catch?".
Assume Form may be a bit too straightforward for long term fans. It isn't really glitchy at all and it lacks Blake's usual trick of looping distorted vocals. Considering Blake's obvious talent, it's easy to wonder what would happen if he absolutely let loose in this more pop context. Then again, the relatively simple beauty of "Are You In Love?" provides an argument for the case that perhaps a more experimental approach to this new more R&B influenced sound isn't even necessary. The jury is still out on the answer to the aforementioned question, but Assume Form is a quality album.
The features here truly add a lot to the record, with Rosalía's stunning voice greatly enhancing "Barefoot in The Park." Right after, "Can't Believe The Way We Flow" is Blake at his most euphoric. Vocal samples mesh together to produce what is easily the sunniest song of Blake's career. The most notable of the features here is easily the elusive Andre 3000, who contributes a great verse to album highlight "Where Is The Catch?".
Assume Form may be a bit too straightforward for long term fans. It isn't really glitchy at all and it lacks Blake's usual trick of looping distorted vocals. Considering Blake's obvious talent, it's easy to wonder what would happen if he absolutely let loose in this more pop context. Then again, the relatively simple beauty of "Are You In Love?" provides an argument for the case that perhaps a more experimental approach to this new more R&B influenced sound isn't even necessary. The jury is still out on the answer to the aforementioned question, but Assume Form is a quality album.
