Back to Bedlam

As a piece of propaganda, James Blunt’s album Back to Bedlam does more for changing the face of the British Army than a series of television adverts ever could. Swapping a rifle for a guitar, the former cavalryman’s ballad-heavy debut is a clearly aiming to win the battle for the public’s hearts and minds. The success of singles like "You’re Beautiful" and "No Bravery" (inspired by his time stationed in Bosnia) are both heartfelt and sensitive, the latter packing an additional emotional punch beyond the typical lovelorn ballads of his contemporaries like Damien Rice. But Blunt also sings with conviction about matters of the heart, and that’s the territory that most of Back to Bedlam visits, with songs of loss like "Goodbye My Lover", "So Long Jimmy" and "Billy". And throughout, the arrangements remain understated yet effective, thanks to the input of such heavyweight producers and songwriters like Linda Perry and Guy Chambers. All of which prove that there’s a lot of depth to this modern, musical hero. --Robert Burrow

Recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Tom Rothrock (Beck, Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy), Back To Bedlam takes the listener through heartfelt songs of unattainable romances, lost loves and friends failures before climaxing with James’s first-hand experience of war. Songs of universal appeal, all delivered with a powerfully unique vocal. In a world where division is rife and government intelligence (in both senses of the word) remains questionable, James’s songs override and unite.

Back to Bedlam, the debut album from James Blunt, recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Tom Rothcock (Beck, Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy), takes the listener through heartfelt songs of unattainable romances, lost loves and friends' failures before climaxing with James' first-hand experience of war.