14 illinoisentertainer . com september 2023
BLUR The Ballad Of Darren
( Parlophone )
After securing a reunion gig at Wembley Stadium this summer , Blur could have easily slapped together a greatest hits package , put one new song out , and coasted on the laurels of the past three decades . While the height of Britpop-mania was Blur ’ s summer 1995 feud with Oasis , ending with Blur winning a who ’ s-single-debuted-higher competition , Damon Albarn and Blur have played the long game . Trading in their dandy Britpop for the two-minute garage punk hit “ Song 2 ” in 1997 , the song awarded them with the freedom to follow other more idiosyncratic paths that only having a legitimate hit song that gets played at sporting events can provide . When the band frayed apart after the turn of the millennium , Albarn began experimenting as an electronic hip-hop virtual cartoon group Gorillaz ( picture The Banana Splits for a post- 9 / 11 generation ) and hit the zeitgeist with a multi-cultural bouillabaisse of sound . Hits like “ Clint Eastwood ” and “ Feel Good Inc ” meant that Blur was no longer the main focus of Albarn ’ s career . Adding to his extensive discography the supergroup The Good The Bad & The Queen , excursions into world music , and solo albums , Albarn pushed further away from the classicist English pop music of Blur . When Damon played a set of demos to the band a mere six months ago , the plan wasn ’ t to release a new record in time for these summer concerts . However , guitarist Graham Coxon ( who just released a great record under the moniker The Waeve ), bassist Alex James , and drummer Dave Rowntree decided the flesh out the demos that would become The Ballad Of Darren . Rooted in a middle-aged melancholy , the album careens from the stately and elegant opener “ The Ballad ” to the loud and cranky Mark E Smith homage “ St Charles Square ” with ease . Nothing here attempts a straightforward commercial smash ; instead , complicated melodies and obtuse lyrics sit atop the lovely musical chemistry that Blur has peddled since their debut Leisure ( 1991 ). Stripping away the myriad of genres and guest musicians found on other Albarn projects means the band instead focuses on returning to form and concentrating on emotional impact . “ Barbaric ” absolutely crushes with a soaring chorus , jangly guitars , and the ever-present sneaky mortality
found in the lyrics . “ The Narcissist ” slowly wiggles its way into your cerebrum with its steady beat and call-and-response vocals between Damon and Graham , slyly alluding to the pull of addiction . Coxon ’ s guitar is the secret weapon here : at times conjuring jagged shards of white noise while at other times adding woozy layers of blissed-out psychedelia . While the winding soundscapes and sophisticated arrangements sometimes verge on prog-rock , most songs barely last over four minutes and make their point quickly without overstaying their welcome . It will be interesting to see if the band uses the emotional quicksand of The Ballad Of Darren as a jumping-off point for the new era for Blur or if this will stand as a wistful goodbye to a more innocent time .
– Andy Derer
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PETE TOWNSHEND ANDRONNIELANE Rough Mix PETE TOWNSHEND Empty Glass
( Universal )
Two extracurricular albums from Who Mastermind Pete Townshend are now available in remastered vinyl editions . 1977 ’ s Rough Mix was written and recorded in collaboration with Ronnie Lane of The Faces . The album often seems loose , unfocused , and unambitious , but its unpretentiousness becomes the source of its appeal . The album is best remembered for Townshend ’ s cheeky rocker “ My Baby Gives it Away .” The song includes a noodling Jerry Garcia-styled guitar lead , a jaunty guitar hook , and the unmistakable propulsion of Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts . Townshend ’ s brash , cheeky , and not-too-subtle lyric describes the low-