Bleep

Assume Form, James Blake’s fourth full-length record, drops at a point when his stock has never been higher. Since the release of 2016’s The Colour In Anything the singer-songwriter/producer/DJ/label owner/general musical polymath has entered the big leagues, working with the likes of Jay Z, Beyonce and Kendrick Lamar. His newfound status is reflected by the credits for Assume Form - Travis Scott, Metro Boomin and Andre 3000 are just three of the guests here.

Singles ‘Don’t Miss It’ and ‘Mile High’ signposted what to expect from Assume Form. Many of the cuts show off a blend of snapping hi-hats, booming 808 kicks and the kind of ethereal gorgeousness Blake has been dealing in since ‘Limit To Your Love’. We also see Blake developing his sonic palette in subtler ways - Assume Form’s title track kicks things off with gorgeous flurries of violins, while the ambient koan that closes things out is in the vein of Moses Sumney’s ‘Doomed’.

After a little wait the vinyl edition of Assume Form has now dropped, and to reward our patience it comes with a couple of neat features. As well as being issued in a standard black single-disc pressing, we can also present a limited-edition green double-LP version. The green edition also includes ‘Mulholland’, a new track that doesn’t appear in the digital running order. ‘Mulholland’ sees Blake going full chipmunk-soul in a way that is oddly beautiful - think of it as an inversion of Dirty Projectors’ ‘Keep Your Name’. Those of you who cop the pressing of Assume Form that includes ‘Mulholland’ will be getting one of Blake’s most unique works to date.

The shift towards a hip-hop and trap-influenced style suits Blake’s tender electro-balladry well. Assume Form is another delightful and moving album from the talented Mr. Blake.