James Blake
Franklin Music Hall
421 N 7th St.
Philadelphia
June 4, 2026
When Enfield-born singer-songwriter and producer James Blake’s cover of Feist’s “The Limit to Your Love” was released in 2010, it signaled a creative renaissance in U.K. R&B. With its stately piano riff, Blake’s atmospheric vocal and dubstep-inspired production, “The Limit to Your Love” was unique, but it did not occur in a vacuum. The previous year, Blake released “Air & Lack Thereof," a quirky, experimental Dubstep tune. It makes sense that one of England’s most intriguing new R&B stars would have such a close relationship with dance music; British scenes and sub-genres like Acid Jazz, U.K. Funky, Trip-Hop and Garage were all forged out of a synthesis of R&B and dance music. For his latest album, 2026’s Trying Times, Blake takes his synthesis even further, creating a ghostly suite of songs that blend the texture of electronic with the tender romanticism of R&B. Joined by Atlanta rapper/producer rapper Swavay, Blake brought his intoxicating brand of machine-augmented soul to Franklin Music Hall last night.
While a playlist of trippy, ambient beats poured from the house monitors into the cavernous room, the crowd chatted excitedly and a few people jumped the metal guardrails that divided the bar/21-and-over section. When the lights dropped, Blake and his band sauntered to the stage and the audience roared with appreciation. They immediately launched into “Walk Off Music," the opening track from Trying Times. The song’s warbly, accordion-like synth chords acted as secure support for Blake’s aching falsetto. Next up was a soaring and dramatic rendition of “Choose Me,” which segued beautifully into Blake’s cover of Untold’s “Stop What You're Doing,” complete with titanic kick drums and harsh, screaming synths. With a cup of tea in hand, Blake took a moment in between songs to thank the audience for listening to the new album. From there, Blake and his band worked through a hefty set of new and old material as well as some covers from Frank Ocean and Joni Mitchell. The entire set showcased the prevailing aesthetic that Blake has been exploring throughout his career. His music operated in a space where the raw humanness of R&B’s naked vulnerability meets atmospheres and textures that can only be conjured by electronics.
