Blur “The Ballad of Darren” Album Review

The Ballad Of Darren

Blur

• Genre: Alternative
• Date: 21 Jul, 2023
• Content: explicit
• Track(s): 10
• ℗ 2023 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by Blur (2023), under exclusive licence to Parlophone Records Ltd, a Warner Music Group Company

The ninth studio album by English rock band Blur is titled ‘The Ballad of Darren.’ Warner Records and Parlophone jointly released it on 21 Jul 2023. James Ford produced it at Studio 13 in Devon and London. It is Blur’s first album since ‘The Magic Whip’ (2015), the group’s shortest album and the first with a duration under 50 minutes. According to reviews, The Ballad of Darren incorporates lounge and alternative pop from the 1970s. The album has been compared to works by Lou Reed, John Cale, Radiohead’s ‘A Moon Shaped Pool,’ and Blur’s ‘Think Tank.’

Damon Albarn played the early versions of the songs for a potential reunion album to his fellow members of Blur shortly after securing the biggest gigs of their careers at Wembley Stadium. ‘The Ballad of Darren,’ elegantly arranged with lush harmonies, baroque flourishes, and a splurge of 1990s cosplay, would become the prettiest and tightest of their nine albums.

Album Art

Martin Parr’s 2004 image of a lone swimmer in the Gourock Outdoor Pool in Gourock, Scotland, serves as the album’s cover art. The band’s former bodyguard, Darren “Smoggy” Evans, who works for frontman Damon Albarn, is referenced in the album’s title.

Tracks And Features

Blur (especially Albarn) is expansive, vital, and expressive, and despite the rich sound, this is more minimally produced than Blur has been in a long time. With Gorillaz producer James Ford at the helm of this flawless production, their return to the fundamentals strategy has worked well with “The Ballad of Darren.”

With lines like “I just looked into my life, and all I saw was that you’re not coming back,” the affecting and evocative first song, “The Ballad,” intensifies a sense of loss. About a “feeling that I thought I’d never lose, now where am I going?” Barbaric provides additional context for this theme. In Barbaric, the lyrics delve deeper into the emotional turmoil caused by the absence of the person being addressed. The song captures profound confusion and uncertainty as the narrator grapples with the sudden shift in their direction and purpose. These poignant lines emphasize the profound impact of their departure on the narrator’s life, leaving them questioning their path forward.

There are still moments of enthusiasm and energy present despite the album’s generally sombre and reflective sound, notably the raucous “St. Charles Square,” which is reminiscent of Talking Heads, T. Rex, David Bowie from his Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) period, and, well, Blur from the heady ’90s. A pit in your stomach feeling of loneliness and paranoia is evoked by the lines “Because there is something down here, and it’s living under the floorboards… It grabbed me by the ankle and pulled me under.” With “St. Charles Square,” a brand-new song that marches into the boardroom and slaps the whiteboard with an irresistible pitch: This is the Blur many really remember, in all their delinquent glory.

With Albarn’s carefree delivery and Graham Coxon’s spirited and intoxicating riffs, “St. Charles Square” feels like something that could have been included on their debut album, Leisure, even though the album is their most impressive and varied work in recent years. A true standout and many people anticipate that it will become a fan favorite.

In the breathtaking song “Goodbye Albert,” which features Albarn musing, “Goodbye to you and me,” the contemplation continues. With this profound and meaningful subject matter elevated by Graham Coxon’s shimmering guitars, Albarn considers his mortality in “Russian Strings.” In “Russian Strings,” Albarn delves deeper into the reflective theme of mortality, exploring the transient nature of life and the inevitable passage of time. Through haunting melodies and poignant lyrics, he invites listeners to reflect on their existence and the fleeting moments that shape it.

The album’s lead single, “The Narcissist,” is a subtle homage to Ovid’s Metamorphosis, which gave rise to the characters Narcissus and Echo. In that work, the former rejected Echo and fell in love with his reflection, giving rise to “narcissism.” It is revelatory, reflective, and emotionally charged with lines like “I heard no echo, Distorting everywhere, I found my ego.” The Narcissist eases proceedings into motion with a dreamy, almost ethereal opening that transitions into an emotional crescendo. Albarn’s vocals on the album, which are entirely self-reflective and at times haunting, have a genuine sense of calm and vulnerability.

With Darren as the protagonist, “Heights” brings the listening journey to a comfortable conclusion and ties that melancholy to middle-aged turbulence. It also touches on issues that resonated throughout most of the tracks. However, its gentleness and succinctness override Blur’s trademarks, which would more strongly evoke a man’s unravelling. “Heights” showcases Darren’s introspective journey as he navigates the complexities of middle age, seamlessly blending melancholy with the overarching themes explored in previous tracks. While it deviates from Blur’s signature style, its gentle and concise approach adds a unique layer to portraying a man on the verge of unravelling, offering a nuanced perspective on his emotional turmoil.

Tracklist

NO	TITLE	TIME
1	The Ballad	3:36
2	St. Charles Square	3:55
3	Barbaric	4:08
4	Russian Strings	3:37
5	The Everglades (For Leonard)	2:56
6	The Narcissist	4:05
7	Goodbye Albert	4:16
8	Far Away Island	2:57
9	Avalon	3:05
10	The Heights	3:23

Album Summary

This incredible body of work is a captivating snapshot of the band’s current state. Still present are traces of that endearingly eccentric art-pop swagger. However, The Ballad of Darren is their most arrestingly personal work since albums like 13 marked their first significant departure from the Britpop sound they developed throughout the 1990s. Darren’s soul-searching journey, which is a testament to how overcoming loss might help you find yourself, your sound, and your friends through the power of music, is emotive, visceral, and full of intent.

The Ballad of Darren attributes that melancholy to midlife turmoil. Still, its grace and succinctness overshadow Blur trademarks that would more potently conjure a man’s unravelling: Albarn’s riptide dives into the hypnagogia and alien genres while Coxon’s trapdoor drops, blunt sharps, and screwball blues. Albarn portrays the confessor who is inconsolable. Even so, these meticulously crafted songs evoke something other than pain: the dilution of losses, the cosy aura of midlife decline, and the waning conviction that crisis ushers in your next performance as you get older.

Stream