Album: All the Lost Souls
Artist: James Blunt
Websites: Official and Myspace

After selling 11 million copies of his debut album, Back to Bedlam, James Blunt's All the Lost Souls has quite the high expectations to live up to. The popular single, "You're Beautiful", reintroduced meaning to the simple word beautiful, and despite being mocked by some, was one of the most poignant and well-known songs of the year. Can All the Lost Souls compare?

The album opens with its first single, "1973", a nostalgic tune inspired by nights at a club in Ibiza. Like the songs that follow, it features a steady rhythm, Blunt's warm and expressive vocals, and his trademark tender lyrics.

His style remains as sentimental and convincing as ever, with lyrics like those in "I Really Want You"; Do the bloodied sheets on those cobbled streets mean I have wasted time? / Are there silver shores on paradise? Can I come in from the cold?, and "Carry You Home"; As strong as you were, tender you go / I'm watching you breathing for the last time / A song for your heart, but when it is quiet / I know what it means and I'll carry you home.

These lyrics, though some would argue them cliché, are delivered with great honesty and poise. While perhaps not the most original work, Blunt's music is certainly passionate, genuine and comforting. Vulnerability is brought on by the truck loads, but it agrees with the gentleness of his voice, and surely appeals to female listeners. This susceptibility does get repetitive, though.

Instrumentally, the melodies and harmonies are nothing new. Far from being the primary focus, basic drum, guitar, and piano parts serve as the backdrop for the songs. The rhythms are all fairly similar, it seems, and they vary little. He mixes it up occasionally, but not enough to make a difference in effect. This works fine, however, as the harmonies are fitting and well-executed—but beyond doubt, it is Blunt's sincere and whole-hearted lyrics that make this album worth buying.

Unpretentious, intimate, and soothing, this second album of Blunt's presents another honorable endeavor in music and ten more believable songs, worthy of the word beautiful.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."