More than 12 years have passed since Blur fans have been treated to new material, however, Thursday the 19th of February may as well have been December 25th as it the band announced their eighth studio album, The Magic Whip.
The news came via social media as thousands of fans across the world waited anxiously following talk of a noteworthy Blur announcement, circulating around the internet for months, before coming to a head in the form of the news of The Magic Whip. Of the record, frontman Damon Albarn said how the band had reverted back to “the way we recorded when we started. It wasn’t a flash studio, it was pretty claustrophobic and hot. We went in and knocked about loads of ideas.”
The record was originally formulated in Hong Kong and Japan, and this shows in the video for the album’s first single, ‘Go Out’:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp1ks7PTzng&w=740&h=422]
Not only have Blur fans been rewarded for their extensive wait with a new record, but additionally with a headline slot at British Summer Time in Hyde Park this June. Despite Damon, Alex, Graham and Dave’s individual ventures into middle age, and the effect of running numerous side projects, I expect that Blur will still be on fine form, invigorated by the rejuvenation that comes with a shiny new release.
The Magic Whip will be released on 27th April. Here’s the tracklist:
- Lonesome Street
- New World Towers
- Go Out
- Ice Cream Man
- Thought I Was A Spaceman
- I Broadcast
- My Terracotta Heart
- There Are Too Many Of Us
- Ghost Ship
- Pyongyang
- One Ong
- Mirrorball
Words by George Birch