New Blur album!!

[octophone]

Single doesn't really sound like anything they've done before and builds to a nice noisy crescendo...I think I like it.

 

[octophone]

Not sure about the album title tho'....the sleeve is brilliant, mind you.

 

[FetchFugly]

I really like the new song.

That is an excellent album cover and I find the name quite amusing. I'm seeing them in July

 

[funky]

This kinda came out of nowhere!

I like the new song.

 

[RJN]

very pretty. and so soon after the last (really good imo) Gorillaz album

 

[funky]

That was definitely the best Gorillaz album since their early years for sure

 

[FetchFugly]

I absolutely love this now. I bought the last album and it was fine I think, but it didn't really stick with me as I imagine this will do.

With some production tweaks it could have been from that Gorillaz album too.

 

[octophone]

I lost touch with Gorillaz a while ago...I think the album with Mark E Smith on it was the last time I bothered. I wasn't so impressed with Albarn's last solo album either. I think Blur are one of those bands with that indefinable *something* - when the 4 of them are together, something just clicks into place that is bigger than the component parts - "Think Tank" being, at best, average proved that, I think.

 

[octophone]

I absolutely love this now. I bought the last album and it was fine I think, but it didn't really stick with me as I imagine this will do.

With some production tweaks it could have been from that Gorillaz album too.

There were some great songs on The Magic Whip but the production was a bit sterile. The same can't be said for "The Narcissist" which feels very 'live' to me. Really looking forward to this album now.

 

[FetchFugly]

I see James Ford has produced the album. He seems to be all over everything, I suspect he does not sleep.

 

[Nancy]

I see James Ford has produced the album. He seems to be all over everything, I suspect he does not sleep.

Didn't he used to play Martin Fowler in EastEnders?

 

[IntoTheDark]

I really like this. Classic Blur.

 

[passthatdutch]

This is the best thing they've done since Under The Westway. A shame the album isn't out before the Wembly gig but assuming that one will largely be the HITS.

The last Gorillaz album was also brilliant. Silent Running a particular fave. Just lush.

 

[AGinAg (37)]

They played here last night and did an interview in the venue for Channel 4. Not especially appealing individuals, Rowntree aside.

 

[FetchFugly]

I enjoyed the Brexit ranting (helpfully prefaced by Channel 4 news noting that Blur have always been left leaning) but yeah.

Damon appearing to answer a question specifically directed at Alex seemed quite rude.

 

[AGinAg (37)]

Albarn just comes across as an old cunt, compared to the youthful fresh faced cunt he once was.

 

[FetchFugly]

I'm very much liking the album on one and a bit listens. Some very lovely songs. St Charles Square with 'Tesco disco!' and Coxon screaming is definitely an outlier though, the tempo is generally further down.

The Narcissist already feels like a Blur classic. They played it in the encore at Wembley right before The Universal and it felt like it belonged there.

 

[octophone]

On first listen, I wasn't wild about this - it came off like an Albarn solo album with Coxon on backing vocals but with repeated listens, it is slotting into place. It doesn't sound like any of their other albums and the generally mid to slow pace is befitting men in their mid-50s. It's reflective, awkward, emotional and, in places, excellent. It won't battle with their 90s output in anyone's favour but it's far better than you'd have expected a 2023 Blur album to be in, say, 2003.