wordplay by Cassandra Hood
images courtesy Atlantic Records

 As the first British artist to top the U.S. singles charts since Elton John, James Blunt is enjoying his ride of success. His life has been called remarkable, his voice haunting, and his album Back to Bedlam, spellbinding. But people have also called him posh and annoying. Despite the mixed reactions to his music, Blunt continues to travel the world entrancing people with his songs and giving people a reason to talk.

Most people know Blunt as the British Army officer that strapped his guitar to his tank, but for him, the change from G.I. Joe to swooning singer was as simple as breathing.
 “I find it strange that humans can’t accept that we are flexible and can do many jobs,” Blunt told Blender Magazine this past March. In fact, he finds it annoying to be constantly asked about his change from the army to music. For Blunt, performing is what comes natural, but he joined the army out of family tradition.

Raised in a military family, Blunt grew up without any musical influences. His father found music useless noise, and refused to buy a CD or record player. His only exposure to music as a child came from the CD player in the car.  But when he went away to boarding school he was introduced to the likes of Queen, Dire Straits, and Nirvana. Playing his guitar along to each new song he heard, Blunt sought to learn as much as he could.

By the time James got out of the army he had written half of the songs on Back to Bedlam. He left the army in 2002 with what he calls “dodgy demos” intent on becoming a full-time musician. Within a year he was in California recording his album, spending his free time in the numerous LA nightclubs. Even with his success, James spends most of his time in bars. “I supposed that’s a British cliché isn’t it? You think we drink a lot. And I’ve already confirmed that,” he said.

But life isn’t just sex and drugs for James; he couldn’t do without his rock and roll. Bedlam's lead single “You’re Beautiful,” rocketed him to the top of the U.S. charts, and captured the imaginations of young women seduced by his tender voice. With soft guitar and piano melodies, the song has been called Blunt’s answer to Elton John’s “Your Song.” However, Blunt’s falsettos reach heights that Elton never seemed to reach. Elton’s beautiful song is filled with love and admiration for someone still with him, while James’ is sorrow filled and about an ex he saw with another man. This is not the first comparison of James to Elton as many have pegged Blunt as a post modern John. 

With many of his songs focused around his acoustic guitar and piano harmonies, Blunt’s voice shines through with unnaturally high falsettos which set him apart from other artists in pop music today.

Blunt is also not afraid to touch on political issues. “No Bravery” is the only song he wrote while in Kosovo. The dark piano is repetitive as it swells and dissipates depending on the mood of the lyrics. Retelling the horrific images that soldiers see, Blunt took pains not to explicitly tell what he had seen. In an interview with Q magazine in July, Blunt said, “War is an absolutely terrible, ghastly thing. I didn’t write that song on a political level, it was just a descriptive thing…” he goes on to explain that if people want to perceive the song as a promotion of stopping violence, then they will, even if it wasn’t his intention. He also said later on in the interview, “I try not to be too specific about it. Because what the song is describing is abhorrent.”

But it is important to understand that Blunt is as much a joker as he is a serious, introspective person. Despite the serious nature of his songs, he displays quite a “fuck all” attitude –to put it bluntly. His sarcastic banter displayed his daring demeanor with The New York Times. When asked, “Your debut album is called Back to Bedlam, presumably in reference to the famous British Asylum. Have you ever been institutionalized?” Blunt replies wryly, “Well, I went to boarding school and Sandhurst, and then I joined the army.” Which, no doubt, wasn’t what the reporter had hoped to hear. So she continued, “Ha ha. Have you spent time in an institution for the mentally ill?” This time Blunt’s answer reflected his more serious side, he said, “No. But I felt as if I were in one. I just think the mind is a pretty lonely place.” 

And indeed, sometimes it is…which is why James Blunt has garnered fans. He provides a dream land for people to hide in, so that they don’t feel so alone. As he says in his song “Cry,” “And if you want to talk about it anymore, Lie here on the floor and cry on my shoulder, I’m a friend.”

October 28th @ Magness Arena

JamesBlunt.com