James Blake – Trying Times

Pre-order. Release date 13th march 2026

Trying Times is a record about being in love whilst battling the limits of the self against a backdrop of global uncertainty. James Blake explores the tension between intimacy and isolation, the pressure to curate and perform even as everything, inside and out, feels fragile and precarious. Themes of reflection, both literally and metaphorically, run through the record’s visual presentation, as Blake holds a mirror to the contradictions of modern connection - how we see ourselves, how we’re seen by others, and what gets lost in between. It’s about the disorienting loop of joy and dread: feeling safe in love, yet knowing the bubble could burst at any moment; struggling to stay present while global anxiety and private doubt pull you in different directions. A meditation on love, identity, and fragility in an age where
the world feels balanced on a knife edge.

SIDE A

A1. Walk Out Music

A2. Death Of Love

A3. I Had A Dream She Took My Hand

SIDE B

B1. Trying Times

B2. Make Something Up

B3. Didn’t Come To Argue (ft. Monica Martin)

SIDE C

C1. Days Go By

C2. Doesn’t Just Happen (ft. Dave)

C3. Obsession

C4. Rest Of Your Life

SIDE D

D1. Through The High Wire

D2. Feel It Again

D3. Just A Little Higher