Introduction

Friends That Break Your Heart is the fifth studio album by British singer-songwriter James Blake. James Blake is one of my favorite artists of all time, playing a very formative role in my development, especially during the sadder times. Blake got his start in what people describe as the post-dubstep scene, making ambient electronic tracks that would flip R&B samples, like "CMYK."

He quickly evolved beyond the electronic scene, showing incredible range as a singer and songwriter. His talents became recognized across hip hop and R&B, working with artists like Beyonce and Frank Ocean, and he even won a Grammy for work tied to Kendrick Lamar. Collaborating with major artists in those spaces clearly influenced his own music, most notably on his previous studio release Assume Form, arguably his most commercial and mainstream-sounding release to date.

As the title suggests, James Blake looks at a different type of heartbreak here: heartbreak between friends. Written over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, Blake, like many others, had severed connections with friends, and this record serves as his way of addressing that experience. Sonically, this record is most similar to Assume Form in the sense that it features more commercial-sounding songs and is generally more accessible than albums like The Colour in Anything or his self-titled release. However, unlike Assume Form, Friends That Break Your Heart has a lot less that drags it down, featuring some really strong songwriting and intriguing instrumental moments.

Notable Songs

Life Is Not the Same: Something James Blake does better than anyone is create a hauntingly beautiful song. The distorted screams and the effects placed on the voice in certain parts all create a somber tone that accentuates the heartbreak and pain. I especially love how he cuts the song at the beginning with the "why'd you go" that echoes back at him, emphasizing that he's been abandoned and is talking into the abyss. Another small detail I love is the little waves you can hear occasionally in the background, which pair nicely with lyrics about "diving in" or "swimming out to sea."

Coming Back: Since 2016, James Blake has been a frequent collaborator in both the hip hop and R&B space. On "Coming Back," Blake pairs with R&B starlet SZA in a much more upbeat song than its predecessors. This track meshes some of the key elements of both James Blake and SZA, though it definitely sounds more like a SZA song than a James Blake song. That is not necessarily a bad thing because SZA kills her feature, but I think I would have preferred to hear her adapt a little more to a James Blake song on a James Blake album.

I'm So Blessed You're Mine: This song is reminiscent of earlier James Blake, where there are not really lyrics and instead the focus is on the instrumental, the heavy bass drop, and my personal favorite instrument: James Blake croons. There are a lot of jarring random sounds to focus on here. You have synths that sound like a futuristic computer, but a futuristic computer as portrayed on old TV shows, plus transformer-like textures and eerie strings. You kind of get lost in it all, but in the best way.

Say What You Will: This was the first single for the album and helped recapture some of the hype I lost for James Blake after Assume Form. There is not much going on instrumentally, so your attention lands more directly on the lyrics and, of course, his voice. The song centers on being enough and accepting that you might not be the star of the show, but you can still do your own thing. In an age of social media, where everyone is constantly showing off success and shine, those lyrics can really hit home. Also, on that last chorus, James Blake really flexes with that final "say what you will."

Lost Angel Nights: This is the start of the best three-song stretch on the album. I do not have too many deep insights here, to be honest. This song is just beautiful. James Blake has a collection of perfect lullaby songs and this is a prime addition to that collection. Even though it is a fairly simple song, Blake does what he does best and throws little wrenches into the instrumental or adds little vocals here and there to keep the song evolving while always remaining in control. My personal favorite moment is the last part of the chorus before the "I fell right in," where his background vocals are competing with him singing the chorus.

Friends That Break Your Heart: The title track focuses in on the pain of friendship breakups. As Blake described in an interview with The FADER, friendship heartbreak has cut deeper for him than romantic heartbreak. Friendship heartbreak can be sneaky because those bonds are often longer and deeper than some relationships, yet the stigma around them says they hurt less or matter less. Listening to this song, I thought about the end of some of my own longer-term friendships, and there definitely was real pain in those breakups. On some level, this is one of the most relatable breakup songs because everyone has broken up with a friend, whether it is a friend from college you grow apart from or somebody from the kindergarten playground.

Conclusion

Friends That Break Your Heart serves as a strong sonic evolution of the modern, happier James Blake we were introduced to on Assume Form. We love that James is in a happy place in his life, living in Los Angeles with his partner Jameela Jamil, who had many writing credits throughout this album. But Blake's style of music suits sadness very, very well, and I am glad that we saw a return to some sadder topics on this record.

Beyond just sad versus happy, this album returns to some of the key elements that made James Blake such a remarkable artist. First, the songwriting has returned to a much more beautiful and poetic form, whereas on the previous album it felt more straightforward and less interesting. On songs like "I'm So Blessed You're Mine" and "Life Is Not the Same," there is unique instrumentation that takes you somewhere else and allows you to get lost in the music.

In this modern James Blake era, he is trying to strike the right balance between the abstract sound that made him popular and a more commercial sound. He said in an interview about this album that he wants people to be able to put it on whenever. That is a fair thing to strive for because, other than "Mile High," there are not many James Blake songs I would think about putting on at a function. Maybe there are a few dinner-party songs. On this album, songs like "Coming Back" or "Foot Forward" are much more upbeat and accessible, thanks in part to SZA and Metro Boomin. With that said, I felt they did not quite fit with the rest of the album and stood out as outliers. Even so, I recognize the challenge Blake is up against and give him credit because this record is an improvement when it comes to blending the commercial and the abstract.

Overall, I really enjoyed this album and can see myself returning to it much like many of Blake's other albums. I look forward to seeing how he develops his sound and whether he can create something commercially successful that is sonically as amazing as The Colour in Anything or James Blake. This was actually my first non-top-ten review and my first rated album, so with the first ever rating on DapperDansDogmas, I give Friends That Break Your Heart a 7/10.