About a year ago, I wrote a short article for my student paper on originality and authenticity. I was frustrated by the proposition to write an article on the lack of originality in contemporary music, quickly steering my focus toward the necessity for authentic engagement and reflection and the plurality of authentic expression. Despite being confined by an oppressively short word count, I was impressed with the direction of my article and remember musing about whether it would signify a resurgence in my own reviews and reflections on music and culture. I suppose I took my time, but I can at least partially attribute that article for this predictable, impulsive return to the desolate ghost town my blog has transformed into. A recent interview with James Blake touched on the subject and inspired me to return to the question of originality and its place within contemporary music. The British producer’s signature brand of atmospheric, synth-driven R&B has largely been touted as di...