Much like its predecessor, 2017's The Afterlove, James Blunt's sixth full-length, Once Upon a Mind, matches his familiar voice and introspective lyrics with polished pop production.
As with prior efforts, Blunt's vocals are the most vital aspect of Once, mostly because they are so recognizable.
Otherwise, without them, these songs could belong to anyone.
With a team of pop songwriters, the 11 selections on the LP shift between catchy ditties (which sound like late-era Mumford and Sons, OneRepublic, or Maroon 5 mashed with Avicii leftovers) and plaintive moments of vulnerability that faintly hint at his hit debut Back to Bedlam.
Upbeat highlights like "The Truth" and "5 Miles" briefly energize the album, while the anthemic motivators such as "Champions" and "Halfway" offer empowering singalongs.
Cutting to the core, the heartbreaking "Monsters" and "How It Feels to Be Alive" deal with his father, while "I Told You" and "The Greatest" are gems of wisdom written for his children and future generations.
It's all pleasant and comforting stuff, but ultimately, Once Upon a Mind plays it safe and doesn't leave a lasting impression.
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The TruthJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:42 | 8 MB | 26 MB |
| 2 | ColdJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:28 | 7 MB | 25 MB |
| 3 | ChampionsJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:14 | 7 MB | 20 MB |
| 4 | MonstersJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 04:20 | 9 MB | 23 MB |
| 5 | YoungsterJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:19 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 6 | 5 MilesJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:19 | 7 MB | 23 MB |
| 7 | How It Feels to Be AliveJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:25 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 8 | I Told YouJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 02:31 | 5 MB | 16 MB |
| 9 | HalfwayJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:11 | 7 MB | 22 MB |
| 10 | Stop the ClockJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:14 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 11 | The GreatestJames Blunt, Nate Cyphert, Steve Robson | James Blunt | Play | 03:10 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 36 mins | 85 MB | |||||
| 36 mins | 238 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Blunt | Composer, Primary Artist, Vocals |
| 2 | Gavin Bond | Photography |
| 3 | Karl Brazil | Drums |
| 4 | Chris Cehringer | Mastering |
| 5 | Nate Cyphert | Composer, Vocals (Background) |
| 6 | John Garrison | Bass |
| 7 | Sam Miller | Engineer |
| 8 | Steve Robson | Composer, Guitar, Organ, Piano, Producer, Programming |
| 9 | Tom Rothrock | Mixing |
| 10 | Paul Samuels | A&R |
| 11 | Mike Tarantino | Editing |
| 12 | Brian David Willis | Editing |
| 13 | Matt Zara | Guitar, Programming |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |