Its fair to say that the return of britpop heroes Blur caught just about everyone off guard. The news of a headline spot at this year’s British Summer Time festival and the impending arrival of their 8th studio album ‘Magic Whip’ seemed almost spontaneous, but finally brought an end to a lengthy period of speculation over the band’s future.
While ‘Go Out’ is merely a tasty morsel of what’s to come, it gives us a reminder (as if we needed one) of why this announcement is cause for celebration. Coxon’s guitar wails and groans before collapsing under its own weight into a bubbling swamp of futuristic synth. A chorus of ‘o-o-o-ohs’ ushers proceedings forwards before Damon interjects with his distinctive estuary swagger. Throughout, it treads the line between grunge and post punk, but splateered with just enough whimsy to keep your attention.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sp1ks7PTzng&w=740&h=422]
It’s far from their most elegant work but that’s not to say it’s flimsy. Every chiming guitar stab, every howl of screeching feedback has been meticulously placed and to intriguing effect. Rough and ready it might be, but one thing is for sure – it’s inimitably Blur. Welcome back, gents. It’s been too long.
By Thomas Johnston