Blur, Back with a Bang

Now that several years have passed, Blur have undoubtedly emerged as the winners of the Britpop wars of the '90s against the likes of Oasis and Pulp. Damon Albarn's group are the ones to have really pushed and developed their sound, straying often into unforeseen territory. Whilst each of Blur's members pursued successful solo endeavors during their years of silence, it has been twelve years since their last joint venture, 2013's Think Tank.

The Magic Whip also sees the welcome return of guitarist Graham Coxon, notably absent from Think Tank. The Magic Whip came about almost by accident thanks to the cancellation of a concert in Hong Kong leaving the band with some time on their hands. Five days jamming in the studio produced the basis of The Magic Whip, which sees the Blur of 13 and Think Tank enriched by Albarn's forays into world music and the experimental delirium of Coxon's solo records.

Produced by Stephen Street, this "folk science fiction" as Coxon puts it is a record which is not just powerfully coherent but full of an abundance of sounds and influences. There is no sense of rehashing old ground with The Magic Whip, which is instead a kaleidoscopic album packed full of ideas.

Original article by MARC ZISMAN Translation by RACHEL HARPOLE