The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Through begging words, teary pleas and acoustic pop music, British
singer/songwriter James Blunt’s claim to fame came in 2005 with his debut album
Back to
Bedlam, which featured the unforgettable ‘You’re Beautiful’ and
‘Goodbye My Lover’. Blunt returns now with a third album that will definitely
appeal to fans of his earlier hits.

Though his high-pitched vocals aren’t a favourite for some, Blunt’s melancholic
but poignant and relatable lyrics help make his songs memorable. His
newest record Some Kind of Trouble doesn’t
stray much from that aim, while adding spice to some songs with a happier twist.      

Some Kind of Trouble is a strong attempt by Blunt to get out of the
miserable zone of singing about heartbreaks and loneliness. To some extent he succeeds
in doing so on the previously-released cheerful single ‘Stay the Night’, which has
some skip-along, perky beats, and the acoustic ballad ‘These Are The Words’,
which highlights a mild 80s feel. The 80s feel continues with a sudden turn to electric tunes on ‘Superstar’, where Blunt’s trademark repetitive high notes might leave some
listeners complaining.

Just as he almost gets away with a distress-free
album, he sets the album’s general mood back down with the usual deep, overly
self-pitying lyrics on the tracks ‘No Tears’ and ‘Heart of Gold’.

Most of the lyrics are as profound as in his previous songs, except for
the overly cheesy ‘I’ll Be Your Man’. Nonetheless, they are more positive,
which is a nice upside to the new album.  

While James Blunt’s talent is vastly improving, we can’t help but wonder
if the hit ‘You’re Beautiful’ was just beginner’s luck. While Some Kind of
Trouble is a nice record to listen to and even has a couple of songs that
are likely to be replayed over and over, it lacks a standout hit that would
make it another unforgettable album.