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James Blake takes a bold, unpredictable turn on Trying Times, his first self-released album. The record moves restlessly between electronic experimentation, classic R&B and pop while holding tight to its central tensions: love, anxiety and mortality.

That sprawling approach distinguishes the album from the heartbreak of Friends That Break Your Heart and the deliberate songwriting of Assume Form. Trying Times can feel scattered, but its shifting sounds are united by a persistent sense of dread and connection.

“Walk Out Music” begins the album with swirling production and a burst of chaotic energy reminiscent of Blake’s earlier electronic work. Its hook, “You’re not good to anyone dead,” introduces a recurring concern: how to confront death while remaining open to love.

Blake continues balancing intricate production with emotional weight across the record. “Death of Love” and “I Had a Dream She Took My Hand” favor smoother, R&B-influenced arrangements that bring his vocals forward. “Make Something Up” and “Obsession,” meanwhile, lean further into experimentation and reinforce the album’s loose, volatile character.

The constant stylistic changes allow the individual tracks to stand apart. They also reveal a more dynamic and lovestruck side of Blake than the sad, introspective persona heard on some of his earlier albums. The melodic turns in “Rest of Your Life” and the title track reshape the record’s atmosphere and broaden its emotional range.

Love and anxiety are intertwined rather than treated as competing subjects. On songs including “Death of Love” and “Through the High Wire,” Blake examines uncertainty, pressure and modern life without losing sight of human connection.

The same looseness that makes Trying Times exciting also creates its weaknesses. Some songs land more forcefully than others, and the dense production occasionally overwhelms the writing, diminishing the intended emotional impact.

Even with those inconsistencies, Trying Times is an adventurous release that finds Blake embracing new sounds without abandoning his emotional intensity. Its unruly mixture of styles ultimately holds together as a rich and daring album, earning an 8.7 out of 10.