James Blunt: Back To Bedlam : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Album Reviews

For people who like Coldplay but find them a touch abrasive, there's British singer-songwriter James Blunt. Possessed of a beautiful voice that bleeds sincerity at hemophiliac levels, Blunt sings heartfelt ballads accompanied by a gently chiming acoustic guitar. Sometimes for variety, he employs a gently chiming keyboard instead. (His name is extremely apt: Don't think "blunt" as in "cigar laced with pot" but as in "without sharp edges.") Blunt has an undeniable gift for melody, but how you feel about his music will probably depend on whether you find lyrics such as "I have seen peace/I have seen pain/Resting on the shoulders of your name" inspirational or just precious. Back to Bedlam has been lodged in the British Top Five for months; it may not achieve the same success in the States, but at the very least it should be this semester's background music of choice for dorm-room seductions.