James Blake's glowingly romantic new LP Assume Form is here, featuring a star-studded crew of collaborators, including Andre 3000, Rosalía, Oneohtrix Point Never, Metro Boomin + more. Some first impressions as you listen to the album:

  • the 0PN-assisted, Stevie Wonder-referencing "Can’t Believe the Way We Flow", which Blake has called a "pure love song", is a joyous, glorious masterclass in sampling (that Manhattans track!) and a potential song of the year
  • he's been one of my favorite rappers for 25 years and there is still no artist I get a bigger thrill out of hearing than Andre 3000
  • I'm psyched that "Don't Miss It" made it on here, as peak emotional James Blake is even more affecting as sequenced in context near the end of the album
  • the signature haunting trap melody thing that Metro Boomin does never gets old and complements Blake's vibe shockingly well
  • Blake's subtle evolution as a producer shines bright on the gorgeously restrained solo tracks, like "Into the Red", "I'll Come Too", and "Power On"
  • and it's confirmed: Rosalía is the future, and her presence here feels special and elevates the whole record

Listen to Assume Form in its entirety below: