Soulful British crooner James Blunt's wistful debut infuses the listener -- in order -- with rainy-day hope, the wistful comfort of unattainable love, and finally, world-weary resignation. 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. 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. Opening track "High" sets a determined midtempo pace that rarely wanes -- it's like an acoustic version of "Drive" by the Cars with a Coldplay chorus. 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 melancholy overdose. 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.
Nothing Makes Me CryIt's been so longThe rain keeps fallingIt must be the rain dropsThat are making me blind.Not that i really want to see.It doesn't bother me.Nothing bothers me,and nothing makes me smileand nothing ever changesand nothing makes me cry.I've been in rain so longI thought it had become a part of me.But I'm not the rain.I'm just less of me.Dissolving slowlytill I'm gone.I'm almos...
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I mean, i cant really blame him, cause, well, i do it too, but...all of his guitar songs have the exact same strumming pattern. Exactly.Cmon man, be more creative, dont put a great voice to waste.Edit: To make note, i was merely on shuffle in my iTunes and came across "High", and i realized it sounded alot like You're Beautiful, and then i went through the rest of his album. I don't listen to h...
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Friends of mine have to do a shorttrip to Seattle and they have tickets for the James Blunt and the Rolling Stones Show on Sunday and Monday here in Munich, both Concert totally sold out since month! And now we can go and watch the shows :o)It is the first time for us to see the Stones Live and I am really curious about the "Old Mens". James Blunt is more for the Girls as far as I know a couple...
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If only for the clip below - I guess it was worth it... but I still don't understand how I _*EVER*_ could have liked this album.I remember when I first heard that song... _You're Beautiful_. I wanted the singer dead. Doornail dead. His voice killed me... it was such an awful song & it was all that the radio seemed to be playing (another reason I rarely listen to the radio these days). But I ...
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I mean, i cant really blame him, cause, well, i do it too, but...all of his guitar songs have the exact same strumming pattern. Exactly.Cmon man, be more creative, dont put a great voice to waste.Edit: To make note, i was merely on shuffle in my iTunes and came across "High", and i realized it sounded alot like You're Beautiful, and then i went through the rest of his album. I don't listen to h...
More >
Nothing Makes Me CryIt's been so longThe rain keeps fallingIt must be the rain dropsThat are making me blind.Not that i really want to see.It doesn't bother me.Nothing bothers me,and nothing makes me smileand nothing ever changesand nothing makes me cry.I've been in rain so longI thought it had become a part of me.But I'm not the rain.I'm just less of me.Dissolving slowlytill I'm gone.I'm almos...
More >
Friends of mine have to do a shorttrip to Seattle and they have tickets for the James Blunt and the Rolling Stones Show on Sunday and Monday here in Munich, both Concert totally sold out since month! And now we can go and watch the shows :o)It is the first time for us to see the Stones Live and I am really curious about the "Old Mens". James Blunt is more for the Girls as far as I know a couple...
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 High |
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| 2 You're Beautiful |
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| 3 Wisemen |
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| 4 Goodbye My Lover |
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| 5 Tears and Rain |
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| 6 Out of My Mind |
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| 7 So Long Jimmy |
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| 8 Billy |
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| 9 Cry |
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| 10 No Bravery |
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Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Back to Bedlam")
