Singer, songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist, global superstar – there’s plenty of labels you could attach to James Blake. But throughout his glittering career, which has so far featured a Mercury Prize win (and a further nomination), a Grammy Award (and five further nominations) and three Brit Award nominations, as well as projects working with everyone from Bon Iver to Beyonce, he’s never shied away from changing things up.

Beginning his creative life with sparse electro music, he has since crafted works in every genre from dance and drum and bass, to gospel and soul. He’s a truly eclectic performer, and so it should come as no surprise that his latest offering – a six-track covers EP named, simply, Covers – is just as varied, featuring takes on tracks by artists including Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder and Joy Division.

Opening with a tender reworking of Eilish’s when the party’s over, Blake sets his stall out for the record. It’s a heartfelt collection of piano numbers, with fan favourite Godspeed – the Frank Ocean track – a particular highlight. But in truth each track here is a delight, as you’d expect from an artist with Blake’s talent.

Reacting recently to the news that he had amassed close to 2.5 million streams on Spotify, Blake took to this official Facebook page to say: “It’s impossible to explain what it means to me that you guys have listened like this. The top listener posts you’ve been sending me – I’ve seen them all and it’s heart melting.

“It’s more than just validation – it’s proof that it’s worth all the time it takes to build every song from scratch and live inside the mind of a perfectionist. It’s proof that something inside me is resonating on the outside, and that my world that can often feel very small and disconnected, suddenly feels very big and connected. “It’s an honor for my music to have been part of your lives in this lonely year. I’ve had a lot of time to create, and I can’t wait to show you.”

Covers tracklist:

1. when the party’s over

2. Atmosphere

3. Never Dreamed You’d Leave In Summer

4. Godspeed

5. When We’re Older

6. The First Time I Ever Saw Your Face

Author: Joe Sharratt

Joe Sharratt is a writer and journalist based in the UK covering music, literature, sport, and travel.