I went to the relevant section to review James Blunt’s brilliant debut album only to find a massive typographical blunder... the name of his album has been cited as Coldplay. To set the record straight - Coldplay is an equally brilliant band (though their last album didn’t quite start a fire). James Blunt’s debut album is titled Back To Bedlam.
Many people have not liked Blunt’s vocals, and admittedly, they sound a little strained and high pitched. But that doesn’t detract from the overall brilliance of this album in terms of lyrics, music and melodies. It has been quite some time since any artiste made this kind of music.
In particular, what sets this album apart is its sensitivity. The words of the songs, their inner meaning, the accompanying music... everything has a mooring... a reason. As a result, the songs exude creative maturity - something that is usually rare in a debut album. I think this is the factor that has been responsible for the unprecedented success of the album.
When the dust from the initial euphoria settles, I think two songs from this album will be remembered, and will continue to enjoy playtime across radio stations - You’re Beautiful and Wise Men. In fact, You’re Beautiful seems to be everyone’s favourite, and most people I know have gone ahead and bought the album only for this one song. It would be appropriate at this juncture to point out that this isn’t a one-hit-song album. All the songs are highly listenable and very enjoyable.
All in all, I would recommend this album very strongly. If you love hip-hop and trance and rock and pop, there’s a lot to buy. But if you like soft soulful ballads and lilting music, there’s not much choice, is there? Well, now there is... and it is called Back To Bedlam by James Blunt.