Album title: The Afterlove
Artist: James Blunt
Genre: Pop
Nationality: English
Release date: March 24
Position in Discography: Fifth
Fear Factor: Low
Familiar with this artist? Yes
Familiar with the genre or subgenre? A little
Average RYM Score: 2.30
All right, let's get one thing straight: I don't care who knows it, I like James Blunt. This doesn't mean I don't hate “You're Beautiful” (everyone who has a soul hates that song) but I liked
Back to Bedlam, although to be fair that's the only one of his albums I've listened to, so this could be ****. But I'm not going in with a Blunt-hating agenda like many would. Now, maybe I will hate it, but if I do, I'll hate it on its own merits (or lack of them), not because I'm supposed or expected to. Clear? Good. Now, let's see what this is all about. Opener seems to almost apologise for the hatred he's engendered in people, with a line about that song; quite insightful possibly, also either whiny or quite self-aware/self-deprecatory, can't decide which, and with a title like “Love Me Better”, well that doesn't do anything to help really. Kind of drab to meh so far (three tracks in).
All right, it's beginning to get better now, from “Don't Give Me Those Eyes”, which is a really nice ballad somewhat on the lines of “Tears and Rain”, then “Someone Singing Along” is a nice bouncy number, though “California” reminds me, uncomfortably, of Train's latest. Shudder. Speaking of shuddering, I could do without the presence of Ed Sheeran on “Make Me Better”, and in the end I think I'd class this as a pretty bleh album that, without the fame/notoriety of Blunt, would probably pass as just another substandard pop album of 2017. As it is, his fans will probably enjoy it, but it's no
Back to Bedlam, that's for sure.
Check out more from this artist? May do
Check out more from this genre or subgenre? Yeah
Expectation Index: 8