On his fourth album, James Blake bursts out of the "sad boy" box in which a score of critics want to place him. Blake's free expression of emotion, whatever it may be, is a hallmark of his career, and, on Assume Form, it's his happiness and satisfaction within love featured. The production on it is beautiful, haunting, and extremely refined, and, while Blake hones in on his signature vocal and piano processing, he experiments with more trap elements as well. Additionally, he continues to push the boundaries of his sound through his collaborations, and, here, they include such notable names as Travis Scott, Metro Boomin, Rosalia, and Andre 3000. Listen to it in its entirety, for sure.
James Blake