Review: Blur fans might have been forgiven by approaching 'The Magic Whip', the band's first album in thirteen years and first with lynchpin guitarist Graham Coxon for sixteen, with a degree of trepidation. Yet, in heartwarming fashion, this eighth effort stands as both a testimony to the band's enduring appeal and their experimental, restless side. Written in jam sessions and via an exchange of ideas from Coxon and Damon Albarn, it nods graciously to all eras of the band, whilst it also offering fresh influences - Coxon has talked of 'sci-fi folk' - and a plaintive air of melancholy hangs over many of the well-crafted ditties herein. Yet most importantly, 'The Magic Whip' is possessed of all the charm, ennui and exquisite songwriting of this iconic band at their best.
Review: For all of the "it's like 1995 all over again" analysis that greeted the surprise return of Britpop stars Blur, it would count for nothing if the music they were making was a hollow pastiche of the past. Fortunately, The Ballad of Darren, the band's first new album since 2015, is a giddy blast from the past - and reportedly one recorded in a much more cooperative and good-humoured atmosphere than expected. Fans will immediately feel at home, with tracks such as 'St Charles Square' and 'The Narcissist' offering that now familiar mix of weary vocals, squally guitars, low-slung bass and shuffling drums. Whether or not it's a "return to form" is debatable, but it's certainly a refreshing blast from the past for those came of age in the 1990s (and those inspired by Britpop's messy, lager-fuelled energy).
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