Blur have just announced their first new album in eight years, The Ballad of Darren, out on 21st July via Parlophone. Produced by James Ford and recorded at Studio 13, London and Devon, The Ballad of Darren is the band’s ninth studio album, their first since the chart-topping The Magic Whip in 2015.
Speaking of the Damon Albarn said, “This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now.” Graham Coxon added, “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job.”
Alex James said, “For any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that,” while Dave Rowntree said, “It always feels very natural to make music together. With every record we do, the process reveals something new and we develop as a band. We don’t take that for granted.”
The first single from the album, ‘The Narcissist,’ is out now. Damon Albarn sings about looking in the mirror saying, ” You were the Pierro/I was the darkroom/ I’m going to shine the light in your eyes/ You’ll probably shine it back on me”, floating over a motorik beat and rising with an anthemic chorus. Watch the intriguing visualiser here:
The surprise announcement comes ahead of the band’s return to the place where it all began, Colchester, Essex, for their first-ever performance at local landmark Colchester Arts Centre today (19th May) Colchester is the hometown of Blur bandmembers Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree, with Damon and Graham first meeting as teenagers at Stanway School. Graham later introduced Dave to both Damon and bassist Alex James before their debut album, Leisure, was released in 1991.
A series of warm- up dates in Colchester, Eastbourne, Wolverhampton and Newcastle are kicking off a summer of highly-anticipated live shows which will bring Alex James, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree together again to perform their iconic and much-loved songs across Europe over the coming months. The band’s first ever show at London’s Wembley Stadium on Saturday 8th July sold out in minutes with a second Wembley Stadium show added for Sunday 9th July.
The Ballad of Darran is out on 21st July Pre order here: The Ballad of Darren (lnk.to)
UK LIVE DATES
Warm Up Shows
May
19 – Colchester Arts Centre – SOLD OUT
21 – Eastbourne Winter Gardens – SOLD OUT
26 – Wolverhampton The Halls – SOLD OUT
28 – Newcastle O2 City Hall – SOLD OUT
Wembley Dates
July
8- Wembley Stadium – SOLD OUT
9 – Wembley Stadium – Remaining Tickets
The complete tracklisting for ‘The Ballad of Darren’ is:
- The Ballad
- St Charles Square
- Barbaric
- Russian Strings
- The Everglades (For Leonard)
- The Narcissist
- Goodbye Albert
- Far Away Island
- Avalon
- The Heights
http://www.blur.co.uk/
Credit: – Reuben Bastienne-Lewis
