Released two years after his eponymous debut, which was also lauded by critics and recieved a Mercury nod, Overgrown marked a departure in the restless Blake's sound. His debut was a brooding, dark collection of fuzzy, distorted electronic beats with wobbly, humming bass and yearning vocals. Blake then released two EPs, which showcased a definite new and exciting influence on his sound - R&B and soul.

 

Blake's 2012 brushes with boundary-pushing hip hop kingpin Kanye West are said to have influenced the soul-tinged electronic beats of Overgrown, and it seems West possibly lent Blake some of his swagger, as Overgrown bristles with a quiet confidence. From the haunting, blossoming opener of title track 'Overgrown', to the hip hop infused beats of 'Life Round Here', and of course, the completely astounding, spine-chilling 'Retrograde', the first five tracks of the album alone are quite something.

 

Overgrown morphs into a slightly different beast for the second half - it almost challenges you with its gradual inaccessibility. The almost overwhelming 'Digital Lion' and the In Rainbows-esque 'Voyeur' still impress, but the record climaxes with a return to Blake's roots - a soft, delicate piano infused electronic ballad that is the perfect full stop to Overgrown. 

 

It's a complex, layered record, and it's almost dizzying to think about when you consider how much went into its creation. Multiple instruments, influences - and it's all courtesy of one man. Mainly, Overgrown is a showcase for Blake's towering, intimidating talent.

 

Overgrown is a modern record - it's everything that the Mercury Music Prize claims to stand for. It doesn't hark back to anything, it doesn't remind you of anything, and its schizophrenic spread of tracks is almost a metaphor for the hurried, constant, emotional, unrelenting lives we live. And that's why it is the album of 2013 - it deserves the Mercury Prize.