Friends That Break Your Heart

James Blake

Ten years into his career, U.K. electronic artist James Blake has built a solid discography while collaborating with some of music’s biggest names. 2019’s Assume Form was a gem—a story of falling in love, with none of the syrupy feel-good. It was cold, paranoid, self-indulgent: a case study of an unlovable man reconciling with his relationship. It took months of unpacking to realize the callous beauty in Blake’s vision. One can hope that Friends That Break Your Heart might have the same fate. There are similarities: contemporary production, star guest features, and brutal self-examination. This time around, however, there’s a lack of both emotional sincerity and stand-outs. On the title track, a sombre acoustic guitar sets the stage for something heart-wrenching, but the lyric sheet reads like a high school diary. If I’m the guidance counsellor, I think he’ll be fine by the end of the week. Yet, the closer, “If I’m Insecure,” finds

Blake at his most existential and he sticks the landing with a gorgeous arpeggio. Divisive as always, James Blake surely has another artistic statement under his belt.