A great debut album. (Back To Bedlam - James Blunt)

Member Name: herbie__53

Product:	Back To Bedlam - James Blunt
Date:	02/04/09 (20 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Strong lyrics, a unique sound to his voice

Disadvantages: The track "Cry"

Back To Bedlam is the first album by British singer songwriter James Blunt. I would describe his music as acoustic pop, sometimes with a hint of folk music to it. He has served in the army in Kosovo in 1999, and says this is the inspiration for some of the songs on this album, especially No Bravery. He stood guard over the Queen Mother's coffin and was part of her funeral procession. So he's had a bit of a career change!
Back to Bedlam was released in 2004, and was met with much praise - for good reason! Blunt has an amazing talent for songwriting, and his voice is very unique.

Track Listing:
1. High - This starts out with a very mellow guitar and piano introduction, with simple lyrics. Then once you get to the chorus it livens up a bit, and the song really grabs your attention. Its got beautiful lyrics and a soothing melody.
2. You're Beautiful - This was Blunt's first and breakthrough single. The first time I heard this, I almost turned it off because I couldn't stand his voice. But then after a couple of listens, I realised that he had something special. This is quite a simple song, with a repeated melody, but it's the words that really take the song into its own. This song has had a lot of radio airplay, which means you might already be sick of it though!
3. Wisemen - this is a very mellow song, with a good beat and great lyrics. The chorus is what really shines in the song - its so catchy!
4. Goodbye My Lover - This is such an emotional song, I really can't do it justice with words - you have to listen to it to appreciate it for what it is. On a more somber note, this song will really bring emotions out in anyone that has lost a lover. It grabs at my heart strings and knots them up - I guess that's what an amazing song can do to you. Blunt sings this with such amazing soul, you can really believe that he has experienced this first hand and it sounds like he is going to burst into tears at any minute.
5. Tears And Rain - This one is one of my favourites, it has a wonderful melody to it that stays in your head. But Blunt is not one for just a good tune - the lyrics to this are also brilliant and really tell a story. It's very soothing, ideal for chilling out to.
6. Out Of My Mind - this one has a bit more of a beat to it, and you get the feeling that he is touching on insanity here... talking about monkeys that are sitting on his shoulder waiting to get him! It's very catchy and memorable.
7. So Long Jimmy - Yes, this is about Jimi Hendrix! It's probably also the most "funky" song on the album. It has an almost reggae beat to it, and smooth laid back vocals. I dare you to try not to tap your foot to this one!
8. Billy - This is a very simple, but very catchy song. It's simple in the fact that for most of it it's just guitar with drums, but this really shows off the vocal talent of James Blunt. The chorus is very bouncy and catchy, this song is easily good enough to be released as a single.
9. Cry - This I would say is my least favourite song on the album, though I can't quite put my finger on why. I think it is because I feel it is not of the same musical quality as the rest of the tracks on the album. Though I guess every album has a track like this! I tend to skip this one when I listen to the cd as I feel this song is not up to scratch.
10. No Bravery - This one was inspired by his days in Kosovo, which is totally apparent from the lyrics. It's a heartfelt song from someone that has seen real war. A simple piano ballad that really works well, all the instruments are played by current or ex soldiers. This is another one where you can really believe the lyrics - this is because he has seen the horrors of war first hand. Another one sung with true emotion.

Overall this is a great album, I bought it when it first came out in 2004 and still listen to it today. In my opinion it has the perfect balance of ballads and upbeat songs, and is great for just chilling out to.

Summary: A timeless album that will still be around in years to come