James Blake - Before

That the sleeve for ‘Before’ features James Blake’s reflection juxtaposed with the out-of-focus lights of (presumably) night-time Los Angeles is fitting; this four-track is the post-club, DJ deep-dive side of James Blake; the closest to a wistful piano ballad on show is closer ‘Summer of Now’ - and with a title like that, who can blame him. Heady vibes are largely the order of the day (or night), with opener ‘I Keep Calling’ a slow-burning earworm, and ‘Before’ lightly hinting at euphoria before ‘Do You Ever’ emerges with a creeping hook. World-changing? Probably not. But for a pleasant stop-gap release, James Blake delivers.