The Colour in Anything

The Colour in Anything is the third studio album by English singer-songwriter and producer James Blake. It was released on 6 May 2016, by Polydor Records. It serves as the follow-up to his Mercury Prize-winning 2013 album Overgrown. It features contributions from Justin Vernon and Frank Ocean, and additional production work by Rick Rubin.

The Colour in Anything
Studio album by
James Blake
Released6 May 2016 (2016-05-06)
Recorded2014–16
Studio
Genre
Length76:13
LabelPolydor
Producer
James Blake chronology
200 Press
(2014)		 The Colour in Anything
(2016)		 Assume Form
(2019)
Singles from The Colour in Anything
  1. "Modern Soul"
    Released: 11 February 2016[1]
  2. "Timeless"
    Released: 14 April 2016[2]
  3. "Radio Silence"
    Released: 5 May 2016[3]
  4. "My Willing Heart"
    Released: 5 May 2016[3]
  5. "I Need a Forest Fire"
    Released: 5 May 2016[3]

Background and recording

In November 2014, Blake announced that his third album was "seventy percent done" and would be released in "about five months."[4] In January 2015, he announced the album title Radio Silence.[5] He later stated that the album would feature Justin Vernon (of Bon Iver) and Kanye West, as well as guitar work from Connan Mockasin.[6] In a May 2016 interview with BBC Radio 1, Blake stated that he began work on the album in his bedroom studio in South London, and after "running out of steam" went to United States to complete the recording at Shangri La Studios with producer Rick Rubin.[7]

Recording involved writing contributions from Justin Vernon and singer Frank Ocean, the latter described by Blake as "a huge inspiration for this record."[8] Regarding Kanye West's absence from the project, Blake clarified that "I wanted Kanye to be on the song "Timeless," but the verse didn’t materialize. I think a huge swath of things happened in his life, and I just stayed out of it."[8] During this period, Blake also worked with singer Beyoncé on her 2016 album Lemonade, contributing to two tracks.[8]

Blake reportedly "explored sitting at the piano and singing a lot more" during the album's conception, and developed a desire "to work with other people on my own projects" in an attempt to relinquish some control over his own work.[8] Discussing the tone of the album in contrast to his previous work, he stated that "I realized that [when it comes to making music], it wasn't important whether I was happy or sad—it's about sensitivity and your reaction to the world. I wouldn't want to be one of those artists that keeps themselves in a perpetual cycle of anxiety and depression just to extract music from that."[8]

Promotion and release

On February 11, 2016, Blake premiered a new song entitled "Modern Soul" during his BBC Radio 1 residency.[1] On April 14, 2016, he premiered a new song titled "Timeless," and announced the completion of an album featuring 18 tracks.[2]

On April 28, social media posts by Blake and his label, 1-800 Dinosaur, reposted photos of a mural by children's novel illustrator Sir Quentin Blake (best known for his work with writer Roald Dahl) that hinted at the new album title The Colour in Anything;[9] these were confirmed as the new title and artwork of his album several days later.[10] The murals were displayed in London and Brooklyn. On May 5, Blake unexpectedly announced that the album would be released at midnight.[7]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.5/10[11]
Metacritic78/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[13]
Entertainment WeeklyA−[14]
The Guardian[15]
Mojo[16]
NME4/5[17]
The Observer[18]
Pitchfork8.2/10[19]
Q[20]
Rolling Stone[21]
Spin7/10[22]

Upon its release, The Colour in Anything received generally favourable reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 78, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable" reception.[12] In a review for Pitchfork, Kevin Lozano wrote that Blake's music is "unparalleled, spacious, and impossibly textured." He goes on to write that "At the end of the day Blake just wants to prioritize happiness and self-knowledge above all else. It’s a thoroughly unhip statement that makes you believe smiling, even if it hurts, is the coolest possible thing in the world you can do."[19] The Guardian wrote that "The Colour in Anything reaffirms that he stands apart from his new peers. His music is not nice; the production frequently evokes a disturbed mind, and over it he speaks of profound alienation."[15]

In a lukewarm review for The New York Times, Ben Ratliff opined that the album "grows self-pitying, almost maudlin, in ways Blake has managed to avoid in the past simply by using more elusive lyrical metaphors."[23] Resident Advisor noted that the production was "a notch above" Blake's previous work, making special mention of the tracks "Points" and "Modern Soul," but notes that the album grows "tiresome" through its midsection, and likens it to a "funeral procession." Some critics criticized the album's length, pointing to some tracks that could be cut for time. PopMatters compared Blake to rapper Drake, stating that "like Drake, he had it in him to release a great album here. He just chose not to," while describing much of the album as "colorless and tedious, with Blake’s typical lugubriousness added in."[24]

British mastering engineer Ian Shepherd praised the album's sound, declaring that "It has depth, it has weight, it has space [...] That’s the dynamics, doing what they’re meant to do, in music – giving you goosebumps. Of course it’s a superb vocal performance too, that goes without saying – but trust me, it wouldn’t have anything like the impact if it was crushed and distorted the way so many recent releases are. And unlike those releases, where I inevitably turn them down lower and lower over time, exhausted by the constant maxed-out wall-of-sound, listening to this album loud feels great – and I want to keep listening."[25]

Accolades
Publication Accolade Rank Ref.
Albumism 30 Best Albums of 2016
1
[26]
The Guardian The Best Albums of 2016
28
[27]
Mojo The 50 Best Albums of 2016
37
[28]
Stereogum The 50 Best Albums of 2016
42
[29]
The Skinny Top 50 Albums of 2016
28
[30]

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by James Blake, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Radio Silence"  4:00
2."Points" 
3:31
3."Love Me in Whatever Way" 
  • Blake
  • Rubin
5:03
4."Timeless"  4:22
5."f.o.r.e.v.e.r."  2:40
6."Put That Away and Talk to Me"  3:57
7."I Hope My Life (1-800 Mix)"  5:40
8."Waves Know Shores"  2:55
9."My Willing Heart"
4:02
10."Choose Me"  5:38
11."I Need a Forest Fire" (featuring Bon Iver)
4:17
12."Noise Above Our Heads" 
  • Blake
  • Rubin
5:03
13."The Colour in Anything"  3:33
14."Two Men Down" 
6:01
15."Modern Soul" 
  • Blake
  • Rubin
5:32
16."Always"  5:04
17."Meet You in the Maze"
  • Blake
  • Vernon
  • Blake
  • Vernon
4:55
Total length:76:13

Notes

  • ^[a] signifies an additional producer
  • ^[b] signifies an executive producer

Sample credits

  • "Radio Silence" contains an interpolation of "Hope She'll Be Happier" by Bill Withers.
  • "Love Me in Whatever Way" features samples from "Giving Up" by Donny Hathaway.
  • "Choose Me" features samples from "More" by Tamia.
  • "Always" contains an interpolation of "Godspeed" by Frank Ocean.

Personnel
  • James Blake – writing (all tracks), production (all tracks), mixing (all tracks)
  • Frank Ocean – writing (track 9)
  • Justin Vernon – writing (tracks 11, 17), production (track 17), additional production (track 14)
  • Rick Rubin – production (tracks 2, 3, 12, 15), executive production (tracks 9, 11, 14)
  • Matt Mysko – engineer (track 5), recording engineer
  • David Kim – engineer (track 13), recording engineer
  • B.J. Burton – engineer (track 17)
  • Jason Lader – modular synth (track 2), recording engineer
  • Connan Mockasin – bass guitar (track 12)
  • Chris Messina – vocoder effect (track 17)
  • Matt Colton – mastering (all tracks)
  • Dan Foat – mangagement, A&R
  • Josh Smith – recording engineer, mix assistance
  • Sean Oakley – recording engineer
  • Nathan Boddy – mix assistance
  • Burgess Studio – design, art direction
  • Sir Quentin Blake – illustration

Charts
gollark: It has about a cat brain worth of synapses in it.
gollark: Oh, you need the gut, I forgot that.
gollark: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter, not a hormone.
gollark: It definitely needs feedstock for neurotransmitters and whatever.
gollark: What? I don't think that changes the ethical issues much.

References
  1. "James Blake Shares "Modern Soul"". Pitchfork. 2 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  2. "James Blake announces album completion". Fact. 14 April 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2016.
  3. Kramer, Kyle (5 May 2016). "James Blake Just Premiered Two New Songs and Announced His Album 'The Colour in Anything' Is Out Tonight". Noisey. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  4. Minsker, Evan (23 November 2014). "James Blake says new album out in about five months". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  5. Goble, Corban (13 January 2015). "James Blake announces new album title". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
  6. Minsker, Evan (21 July 2015). "James Blake Says Kanye West and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon Will Appear on His New Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  7. Lobenfield, Claire (5 May 2016). "James Blake's The Colour in Anything will be released tonight". Fact. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  8. Maloney, Devon (5 May 2016). "James Blake and the Pursuit of Happiness". Pitchfork. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  9. Bowe, Miles (28 April 2016). "James Blake hints at possible title and cover art for new album". Fact. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
  10. Bowe, Miles (3 May 2016). "James Blake's confirms next album title, debuts new artwork on billboard". Fact. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
  11. "The Colour In Anything by James Blake reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 12 October 2019.
  12. "Reviews for The Colour in Anything by James Blake". Metacritic. Retrieved 18 January 2019.
  13. Kellman, Andy. "The Colour in Anything – James Blake". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  14. O'Donnell, Kevin (9 May 2016). "James Blake's The Colour in Anything: EW Review". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 20 June 2016. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  15. Aroesti, Rachel (6 May 2016). "James Blake: The Colour in Anything review – toweringly accomplished, heart-wrenchingly frail". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 May 2016.
  16. Yates, Matt (August 2016). "James Blake: The Colour in Anything". Mojo (273): 92.
  17. Levine, Nick (9 May 2016). "James Blake – 'The Colour In Anything' Review". NME. Archived from the original on 10 May 2016. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  18. Empire, Kitty (8 May 2016). "James Blake: The Colour in Anything review – bleakly mesmerising". The Observer. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  19. Lozano, Kevin (10 May 2016). "James Blake: The Colour in Anything". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  20. Harrison, Ian (2016). "Out of the Shadows". Q (30th anniversary special ed.) (361): 115.
  21. Pagnani, Renato (9 May 2016). "The Colour In Anything". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  22. Beta, Andy (13 May 2016). "Review: James Blake Haunts Our Dreams on 'The Colour in Anything'". Spin. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  23. Ratliff, Ben (8 May 2016). "Review: 'The Colour in Anything' Mourns Lost Connections". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  24. Gu, Michael (18 May 2016). "James Blake: The Colour In Anything". PopMatters. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
  25. Shepherd, Ian (10 May 2016). "James Blake and the dynamics of The Colour In Anything". Production Advice. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
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