Blur - The Ballad of Darren

  by Richard Lewis

published: 30 / 8 / 2023

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Review

Resurfacing eight years after their previous LP, ‘The Magic Whip’, Blur return to log the first entry in their now four-decade long catalogue. If proof were needed how quickly the Britpop pioneers can click back into place after years apart, when the quartet reconvened in January of this year to begin rehearsals for their Wembley Stadium shows, there weren’t any plans to even release an album. The joy being the same room together and Damon Albarn’s seemingly endless supply of songs meant a new LP quickly took shape. Any fears that Blur might have turned into an Albarn solo project in the time between records are mitigated by the sonic hallmarks of Graham Coxon’s unmistakable guitar patterns and Alex James’ inventive basslines clear and present throughout. Where ‘The Magic Whip’ saw demos recorded several years previously in Hong Kong reupholstered for release alongside some later additions, ‘The Ballad of Darren’ is a far more cogent affair. Clearly the outlet for the singer’s emotional side unlike Gorillaz, the lyrics for the LP are some of the most nakedly personal Albarn has committed to music. Certainly since 1999s ‘13’, which detailed the breakdown of his relationship with Elastica lead singer Justine Frischmann. Here, on similar territory theories abound as to the state of the singer’s longstanding relationship with artist Suzi Winstanely. Harking further back, the set partially revisits the Life Trilogy, older, wiser and possibly with occasional joint pain, the cover art a sole swimmer in an outdoor pool with a vista of darkening clouds echoing 1995s ‘The Great Escape’. Prosaically titled opener ‘The Ballad’ (“I just looked into my life / And all I saw was that you’re not coming back”) sets out the stall for much of what follows: gently melancholic, mid-tempo, beautifully turned songwriting, led by Albarn’s gorgeous latter-day baritone. Deliberately lacking the lapel grabbing punk thrashes of old, the set aims for the slow burn as opposed to the immediate payoff. ‘St Charles Square’ is nearest they come to rocking out, reviving their fondness for New Wave period David Bowie and the abrasive textures of guitar maestro Robert Fripp. The current track evokes ‘DJ’ from 1979’s ‘Lodger’, an album the quartet referred to (OK, ripped off) with their appropriation of ‘Boys Keep Swinging’ on 1997 single ‘M.O.R.’. Continuing the band’s run of judging the perfect single to return with, ‘The Narcissist’ buoyed by Graham Coxon’s harmonies is an immediate classic. Aerated pop guitar pop gem ‘Barbaric’(“And I would like if you’ve got the time / To talk to you about what this breakup has done to me”) centred around a subtly memorable chorus and superb Johnny Marr-style guitar curlicues gains entry into the rarified list of Blur’s greatest compositions. With long term producer Stephen Street replaced in the swivel chair by Arctic Monkeys’ associate James Ford, the influence of Turner & Co is detectable in the stately pace and ballroom pianos of ‘Russian Strings’. The running order sags slightly at points as the disc dissolves into pleasant if undistinguished moments on ‘The Everglades (For Leonard)’ and ‘Far Away Island’. ‘Avalon’ placed second to last hauls in the slack, evoking ‘For Tomorrow’ several decades older, grown up beyond the years of larking around on Primrose Hill, watching “Grey painted aeroplanes / On their way to war”, The shortest album the group have issued to date, a modest ten tracks clocking in at thirty-six minutes, another couple of songs sharing some of the spikiness of ‘St. Charles Square’ to add some grit to the oyster would have been welcome amidst the loveliness. Unlike some of their contemporaries forever attempting to recapture past glories, however – you can guess the names – ‘The Ballad of Darren’ in its own quietly impressive way carves out new territory for the Essex troubadours thirty-five years in.

Track Listing:-

1 The Ballad
2 St. Charles Square
3 Barbaric
4 Russian Strings
5 The Everglades (For Leonard)
6 The Narcissist
7 Goodbye Albert
8 Far Away Island
9 Avalon
10 The Heights

Band Links:-

https://www.blur.co.uk
https://www.facebook.com/blur/
https://twitter.com/blurofficial

Label Links:-

http://www.warnerbrosrecords.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/warnerbrosrec

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