James Blunt - Some Kind of Trouble

I’m not ashamed to admit that I began listening to James Blunt’s new album, Some Kind of Trouble, with many judgements and preconceptions in my mind. I know many people who would agree with me here, following from his previous efforts’ whining and tedium - noteworthy examples include ‘1973’ and ‘Wisemen’ as well as ‘Goodbye My Lover’, a song that never fails to make me, and many others, feel very suicidal very quickly.

Nevertheless, I was pleasantly surprised by the first song on the album, ‘Stay the Night’ - a slightly more upbeat effort about a promising new relationship with no whining to be heard. However, this doesn’t last long. ‘Dangerous’ is an extremely typical example of Blunt’s heartache which is a bit too repetitive to be genuinely likeable, before ‘Best Laid Plans’ and ‘So Far Gone’, two songs so average I’ve already forgotten them; why do these songs never seem to go anywhere or make me feel anything?

I continue listening in the hope that I can stop myself, say I’m wrong and admit that James Blunt isn’t actually so bad, but no such luck. ‘No Tears’ seems an odd song, being about doing everything he wanted to do and being an extremely lucky man, but the minor key and plodding rhythm seems to completely cancel this meaning out; it just doesn’t really work. The lyrics to ‘Superstar’ suggest an angry rant about personal freedom- “times like these I don't want to be a superstar …tonight can we be free to be who we really are” - but someone really needs to tell James how to write a song that sounds more real and emotional! His songs all seem to have two settings, moaning melancholia or sighing indifference, and who can deal with a whole album of just this, let alone three albums, since he’s done nothing new whatsoever since he broke out in 2005 with You’re Beautiful.

The next few songs, ‘These Are The Words’, ‘Calling Out Your Name’ and ‘Heart of Gold’ have nothing special going for them that make me take notice; it’s so easy to press play and then get distracted and forget that they’re even on, and I can’t help thinking that there’s no real passion or drive behind these songs. However, ‘I’ll Be Your Man’ has me tapping along; it’s much catchier and has lyrics that are easier to truly associate with for everyone – “Climb into our private bubble.” ‘If Time Is All I Have’ makes me want to vomit, quite frankly, being another typical Blunt whiny ‘love’ song, but the album finishes quite quirkily with the more original ‘Turn Me On’ with its funky bass line and lyrics including – “that’s my kinda party!” Why can’t we have more of this, James?

If you’re already a Blunt fan, you’re likely to be satisfied, as he’s clearly continued with the same ‘winning’ formula. However, if, like me, you’ve never been too keen before and were wondering if you’d be converted - you won’t. There are a small few more upbeat songs which are quite nice to have on in the background, but overall it’s hard not to get completely sick of the same old thing before the end of the album.

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