James Blake No Limits @ the Metro Chicago 5/2/13

As soon as I heard British musician James Blake was coming to my fair city. I dropped any plans I may have had (three or so months in advance) I was positive it would sell out the humble Metro venue.-- I was right!

His signature sound entails vocals of an angelic choir boy, mixed with infectious beats he is living proof that both styles can in fact come from a person and not solely from a machine. He's an anomly really, he can geniunely sing Joni Mitchell's "A Case of You'' with such heartbreaking emotion that you would assume the girl as the subject of the song were sitting out in the audience.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ri6bd4G-Aig

 He saved this song for last mind you

His new single ''Retrograde'' off of his recently released album Overgrown was the highlight for me a personal anthem of mine

You’re on your own, in a world you’ve grown
I’ll wait, so show me why you’re strong
Ignore everybody else,
We’re alone now

vimeo.com/59361603

His lyrics like his vocals, showcase a dicotomy between strength/independence and extreme vunerability. Only a handful of artists I know can accomplish both in equal measure.

To prove he's not a complete softy, he started the set with energetic solos of sorts heavy on the House style.. side of the spectrum.. I swore I detected hints of salsa music! I've never heard in previous cuts of songs he's done. The names of the songs I don't recall (I doubt there were any, I'm almost certain he was freestyling)

James Blake is a talent that will surprise you at every single turn. Whether it's the subtlety of his vocals or the drastic changes in beats or mood. the title ''Retrograde'' is misleading as Blake doesn't appear to be moving backward in any form. I would rename it ''No Limits'' because that's the amount of potential he has. Can't wait to see him continue to evolve and I'm intigued to see what he comes up with next