At last, James Blake has revealed the details of his forthcoming sophomore album. Overgrown will be out April 8 on Republic and we can now experience the first official taste of the long-awaited platter thanks to BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe. He shared a song called “Retrograde” today and while it’s the sort of post-dubsteppy alt-R&B we expected, it does indeed sound more aggressive than his understated self-titled debut, as he told the NME it would be.
As piano hits and handclaps build, Blake’s tortured moan develops into a soulful coo as he urges a woman, “So show me why you’re strong. Ignore everybody else. We’re alone now.” He sings that last bit with lecherous intent as the synths swell to a pushy surge and it’s clear the gentle songsmith is embracing more extreme dynamics on this go-around. Take a trip with James, but don’t say we didn’t warn you. Oh, and watch for the video to arrive on Sunday, February 10, 5 p.m. GMT via Blake’s official YouTube channel.
James Blake tour dates:
April 14 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
April 16 – San Francisco, CA @ Mezzanine
April 18 – Santa Cruz, CA @ Rio Theatre
April 21 – Indio, CA @ Coachella
April 23 – Seattle, WA @ Neptune
April 24 – Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
April 25 – Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
April 27 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
April 28 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
April 29 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
May 1 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
May 2 – Chicago, IL @ Metro
May 3 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
May 4 – Toronto, ON @ Danforth Music Hall
May 6 – Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
May 8 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues Boston
May 9 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
May 11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
May 12 – Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
May 13 – Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle
May 14 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
