FKA Twigs: LP1

year: 2014

tones of: janet jackson (voice), the weeknd, jesse lanza

genre samples: dubstep, indie-pop, r&b, drum and bass

music: cool, smooth, mechanical, sweeping 

vocals: cascading, sensual, manipulated, stretched, soft, pitched

lyrics: direct, vulnerable, sexual, longing, needy, sweet

favs: two weeks, pendulum, video girl, give up

score: 8/10

nb: i was looking forward to what fka twigs would do with her LP since "Water Me" ranked 4th on my top tracks of 2013 (http://simmserely.blogspot.ro/2014/01/top-albumstracks-of-2013.html). the production here is so fresh and the music so bold. i am not disappointed.

James Blake: Overgrown. Review Sketch

year: 2013

tones of: luther vandross (vocals), four tet (on voyeur), james blake (really failing when it comes to identifying similar artists!)

genre samples: house, techno, jazz, r&b, gospel, soul

music: complex, moody, soft, smooth, beautiful, slow, low, rumbling, stunning, somber, atmospheric

vocals: haunting, light, free, soft, vulnerable, strained, full, solid

favs: overgrown, life round here, take a fall for me, retrograde, digital lion (theme of this album - good, but gets better over time), to the last

note: while jb expands lyrically, vocally, and sonically, this doesn't have the brilliant contrast and tension of:
http://simmserely.blogspot.com/2012/10/james-blake-james-blake-review-sketch.html

score: 8/10 (a slow burner. be in the mood.)

James Blake: James Blake. Album Sketch

year: 2011

tones of: kanye west (power), bon iver, (other suggestions welcome.)

genre samples: gospel, dubstep, blues, garage, techno, classical piano

music: spacious, wavering, robotic but humanistic, artistic, sonic, fractured, atmospheric, simple, layered, shimmering, submergent

lyrics: heavy, sparse, innocent, isolated, poignant, restrained, vulnerable, regretful, human, weary, lonesome, haunting, naive

favs: the wilhem scream, lindisfarne I+II (i view these as one song), limit to your love, why don't you call me, measurements

album: avant garde, game changer, cathartic, cubist

score: 9.5/10 (sublime)