BLAKE
Flamingo Road
Credit: Artist EPK
Blake’s new album 'Flamingo Road' dropped on November 7th and it showcases the work of a musician who has very much had to take life by the horns and find his own way to realise his musical goals. The record was made entirely at home, with Blake writing, performing, and producing everything himself. The setup might be a simple one, but it works. The result is unfiltered with a real sense that you are getting to hear the songs they way Blake intended.
There is a total of eleven tracks, each different with it's own unique mood and pace. 'Scapegoating' deals with social issues seen in the past year, while 'Flamingo Road', written with Blake’s late friend Magda McCaffry, draws on her memories of life in Lyme Regis during the nineties. Other tracks look inward, touching on moments from Blake’s own life over the past year. The record moves from heavier, guitar-led sections to quieter pieces with ease and without losing focus.
There is a total of eleven tracks, each different with it's own unique mood and pace. 'Scapegoating' deals with social issues seen in the past year, while 'Flamingo Road', written with Blake’s late friend Magda McCaffry, draws on her memories of life in Lyme Regis during the nineties. Other tracks look inward, touching on moments from Blake’s own life over the past year. The record moves from heavier, guitar-led sections to quieter pieces with ease and without losing focus.
You can definitely hear the mix of influences that have shaped Blake's own musical taste. He has mentioned The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, and Dylan among others but 'Flamingo Road' isn't an imitation, it is very much a unique and original body of work from a very talented artist. Recording alone meant he had to build every part from the ground up, adding an extra edge to the record.
His daughter Daisy designed the cover, and the album is out now on his own label, Rockhopper Records. Physical copies come as a limited digipak CD, with digital versions available through Bandcamp. It’s a solid album and a real step forward for an artist who clearly values the freedom of doing things on his own terms.
His daughter Daisy designed the cover, and the album is out now on his own label, Rockhopper Records. Physical copies come as a limited digipak CD, with digital versions available through Bandcamp. It’s a solid album and a real step forward for an artist who clearly values the freedom of doing things on his own terms.