Friends That Break Your Heart

The surprising thing about James Blake, over a decade into his career, isn't that he wears his heart on his sleeve. Long gone are the days when he - or any man for that matter - should be praised for the simple fact that he's in touch with his feelings. Instead, Blake continues to impress because of the sheer dexterity and ambition with which he tackles the things that terrify him most. Every betrayal sounds brand new; strange pockets of joy emerge once the clouds start to clear.

'Friends That Break Your Heart' stuns in how unexpected it is. Blake could have gone anywhere after his blissed-out 2019 LP 'Assume Form', and he did: the 'Before' and 'Covers' EPs followed last winter, and the former reconnected with Blake's roots in dance music in a full circle moment that spoke to his strength as a vulnerable lyricist and his skill as a producer. 'Friends…' takes both sides further, using the disarming heartbreak of its title as the blueprint for further revelations.