25 July 2023

Last Friday BLUR launched their 9th LP, titled The Ballad Of Darren.
Their first in 8 years (The Magic Whip came out in 2015).

A (too) chill-out, romantic and ruminative record like if Damon Albarn took
some time off his busy Gorillaz schedule, got lazy and decided to dream/write
some mellow ballads. Mind you, good songs, but too many reveries for my liking.
I expected/wanted more rippers like St. Charles Square (actually the only rocker
on the LP).

Anyway, yesterday they already dropped a deluxe edition with
two new tracks from The Ballad Of Darren sessions on it.

The upbeat cut The Rabbi and another mellow ballad named The Swan.
I don’t have a clue why these 2 songs weren’t on the original album in the
first place. Take the money and run, I suppose.

THE RABBI

THE SWAN

BLUR: Instagram – Linktree