On a scale of one to James Blake singing falsetto, how emotionally stable are you feeling today? Are you in the market for an ugly cry? Or feeling quite good about yourself, but open to being reduced to a bubbling mess on this fine Friday afternoon anyway? Well, either way, everybody’s favourite crooning sad boy has released a new EP of covers, and in it he’s tackling the songbooks of artists who also make you question whether or not you deserve any morsel of happiness in your life: Billie Eilish and Frank Ocean being just two of them!
Yep, his appropriately titled Covers EP dropped today, and it’s six tracks of piano-led, heart swelling balladry that feel, through James Blake’s voice, wholly original. Opening with a cover of what this writer considers to be Billie Eilish’s best song (don’t @ me) “when the party’s over”, it also sees him tackle tracks by Joy Division (“Atmosphere”), Stevie Wonder (“Never Dreamed You’d Leave in Summer”), Beyoncé’s “OTHERSIDE” (“When We’re Older”) and the brilliant Roberta Flack (“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”). But of course, the real centrepiece is that gorgeous cover of Frank’s “Godspeed”; his honey falsetto fitting its bittersweetness perfectly.
Over the summer, James was jumping on Instagram to tease these covers to his fans, but now you’ve got them all in one place. Happy sadness, queens! Have a great weekend!