Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions

Double Brit 2006 winner returns with Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions

Armed with guitar and piano, heart-wrenching songs and the sweetest voice heard on the airwaves since the classic singer-songwriter era of the Seventies, James Blunt (born James Hillier-Blount) rose from obscurity to become the biggest selling British artist of 2005. This year double Brit 2006 winner (British Male Solo Artist & Pop Act) returns with Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions. This live release is the follow up to the multi-million debut album, Back To Bedlam. Released in October 2004, it made its gradual rise up the charts by word of mouth. First two singles, High and Wisemen made little impact: then came the summer anthem – You're Beautiful, a song about a lifetime lived in a moment, it became the soundtrack of a turbulent year. Blunt’s background sets him apart from the rest – we all know he's taken up his guitar instead of an Army tank, though his new ammunition is proving to be equally powerful. One thing he's achieved in a very short time, is winning over hearts and minds. There's none of your strutting or pop star antics, and so far, no stories of television sets being hurled out of hotel rooms. Blunt deserves all the accolades bestowed upon him. He's now a household name in the UK, and chasing time since the summer of 2004, all caught on this excellent album.

James Blunt is an accomplished live performer

Everything that makes James such a special talent can be heard on Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions, his extraordinary live performance, recorded on tour in Ireland in December 2005. Whether solo or backed by a full band, he loses himself in his songs. The album features all of his biggest hits and demonstrates that Blunt is an accomplished live performer, capable of faithfully recreating his songs on-stage, while stripping some of them down to raw, acoustic form. There are several interesting versions of songs from his album Back To Bedlam. Cry is especially well-delivered song with Blunt’s aching vocals set against some low-key acoustic guitar and piano, while So Long, Jimmy features a good guitar solo from Ben Castle. Admittedly, some of his over-played hits become a bit tiresome, such as Goodbye My Lover – but their presence is sure to please Blunt’s legion of fans. Further highlights include the grittier Sugar Coated. There are even two cover versions – the first of which is a version of Crowded House’s Fall At Your Feet and the second, an acoustic workout of The Pixies’ Where Is My Mind? which is delivered with gusto.

A comprehensive collection that offers something for every James Blunt fan

Some ageing rockstar once said that what he feared most, in a musical sense, was the songwriting well running dry. That's something that's unlikely ever to worry James Blunt. He has, it can be said without exaggeration, lived a life that should provide enough material for a dozen albums, with sufficient left over for a couple of screenplays. Sure - that's what all the singer-songwriters say. But this is a definitively different singer-songwriter. Opinion on James Blunt is split into two distinct halves. There are those that can’t get enough of him, as opposed to those who think his surname aptly rhymes with something else. Admittedly, the overwhelming success of You’re Beautiful is difficult to fathom but Blunt isn’t as bland as some people say, and the backlash against him isn’t deserved. Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions captures the weepy tunesmith at his affecting best. One of those rare artists who can sound better live, his acoustic form comes over really well on this album. Blunt sings great, hitting those exceptionally high notes with ease, and there's an intensity of emotion in songs that clearly comes from the heart. As a whole, this is a comprehensive collection that offers something for every James Blunt fan out there. It won’t change the skeptics’ minds, but it will delight those it’s seeking to please. If you like Blunt, you'll like Chasing Time: The Bedlam Sessions, even if you've heard most of it before.