There have been lots of surprises this year in music, but the release of a new Blur album on the back of a series of sold out shows across the world wasn’t exactly on our musical bingo card.
But having listened to The Ballad of Darren, the band’s first studio album since 2015’s The Magic Whip, we couldn’t be happier that the indie stalwarts are back with a proverbial bang. But this is no nostalgia-trip; this is one of the most experimental and exploratory albums the band have ever made.
From references to characters from Roman poetry to existential contemplation, here’s what you can expect from The Ballad of Darren, Blur’s ninth studio album.
Wait up, who is Darren?
Darren is a real person, despite Blur’s tradition of using character-led lyrics in their back catalogue (Tracy Jacks anyone?) and The Ballad Of Darren seamlessly summarises what this album is all about. Darren ‘Smoggy’ Evans was the band’s longtime head of security and used to encourage frontman Damon Albarn on a regular basis to finish a song that he had started writing several years ago.
But intriguingly the character of Darren also represents us all, of the album title, Albarn commented that: ‘Darren is many people. It is directly one person.’ He isn’t talking in riddles, but uses this collection of songs to speak for us all – and this certainly rings true as the album navigates its way around the profound sense of loss that we have all experienced.
It’s entirely self-reflective, revealing and effortlessly exhibits their exquisite musicianship of each band member who all have ample chances to showcase their prowess and skills both individually and collectively.
Bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree are superb throughout and James in particular when he partakes in his joyful fretwork acrobatics is undeniably sublime which sits alongside the delicate yet dynamic drumming from the fantastic Rowntree.
Don’t expect to get ‘intimidated by the dirty pigeons’
Whilst Blur have always been advocates of sonic shifts, they historically have fully cemented their reputation in the cheeky Britpop sound that helped make them one of the biggest British bands of the ‘90s.
If you are expecting lyrical references to ‘brewer’s droop’ and ‘pork life’, then think again: this musical offering from Blur is more reflective and is overall imbued with a sense of melancholy, reflecting on personal loss and existential contemplation. They are a long way off from ‘gut lords’ – marching or otherwise and we are absolutely on board!
Opening track The Ballad is stirring and evocative – it really compounds the sense of loss with lines like ‘I just looked into my life/And all I saw was that you’re not coming back’. This theme is further contextualised in Barbaric which talks of a ‘feeling that I thought I’d never lose, now where am I going?’.
The contemplation continues on the stunning Goodbye Albert where there is a real sense of resignation with Albarn philosophising ‘Goodbye to you and me’. In Russian Strings, Albarn considers his mortality with this deep and meaningful subject matter elevated by Graham Coxon’s shimmering guitars.
There’s nods to characters from Roman poetry by Ovid in there
Lead single The Narcissist pays a subtle homage to Ovid’s Metamorphosis who created the characters Narcissus and Echo where the former eschewed Echo and fell in love with his own reflection which resulted in the origin of the term narcissism. With lines like ‘I heard no echo
There was distortion everywhere/ I found my ego’, it’s revelatory, self-reflective and emotive.
The Narcissist eases in proceedings with a dreamy and almost transcendental opening that segues into a stirring crescendo. There’s a real sense of calm and vulnerability to Albarn’s vocals throughout the album which are entirely self reflective and at times – haunting.
Expansive, vital and expressive, blur (and in particular Albarn) dig deep and despite the rich sound, this is more stripped back than blur (production wise) have been in years. This back-to-basics approach has served them well with ‘The Ballad of Darren’ with Gorillaz producer James Ford at the helm of this immaculate production.
But it’s not all shoegazing sorrow….
Despite the overall sonics being relatively subdued and reflective, there are still moments of exuberance and energy, namely in the shape of the rip roaring St. Charles Square which is reminiscent of Talking Heads, T.Rex, David Bowie from his Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) era and well…blur from the heady days of the nineties. The lines ‘Cause there is something down here / And it’s living under the floorboards…It’s grabbed me by the ankle / And pulled me under’ are enthralling – tying in the pit in your stomach feeling of paranoia and loneliness.
Whilst the album is their most impressive and varied work in recent years, St. Charles Square with Albarn’s nonchalant delivery and Graham Coxon’s spirited and intoxicating riffs feels like something that could have been released on their debut album Leisure. An absolute standout and we fully expect it to become a fan favourite.
How does The Ballad of Darren sit in the Blur discography?
We are so glad that you asked! The truth is – very well indeed. This stellar body of work is a beguiling snapshot of where the band are right now. There’s still shades of that endearing discordant art-pop swagger, but The Ballad of Darren is their most arrestingly intimate work since the likes of 13 which was their first real stylistic shift away from the Britpop sound that they forged throughout the nineties.
Emotive, visceral and full of intent, Darren takes us on a soul searching journey which is a testimonial of how overcoming loss might just help you find yourself, your sound and your friends via the power of music.
