Blur - The Magic Whip
The Magic Whip
Blur
Tiger Rating: 9.5 / 10
Brit Pop & Rock
If there's one thing that many a band has proven, it's that taking an extended hiatus is a gamble that rarely pays off in the end. Real life happens. Egos taint art and it can be nearly impossible to recapture a certain chemistry that might only have been true or real decades before. Albarn and Coxon stand as McCartney and Lennon once did in terms of their individual inspiration being divisve. Both have had successful solo careers in the thirteen years since parting ways. Both have contributed to lasting pieces of musical history, and both have refined their own particular sound in the years that have past. Albarn has emerged as an introspective, slightly maudlin observer of life's ironies and Coxon, by contrast, has freely indulged and excelled in his own brand of snotty, thrashy, throwback Brit-punk. As they worked on what was to be Blur's final offering, (2003's 'Think Tank'), it became increasingly clear that where the band was heading artistically, and where Coxon was going with his career were two different directions. There was no fireworks or name calling or brooding, publicized fights in tabloids. Like lovers who realize that they no longer have anything in common, Blur and Coxon parted ways quietly.
Sometimes the risk of a comeback pays off. Sometimes the benefit of years of maturing and mellowing can be the thing that determines a comeback's success. As is the case here.
It is very evident, right from the opening track, that Coxon and Albarn respect each other now. 'The Magic Whip', beneath it's choppy, complex surface, is a polite and carefully balanced album. Self confessed control freak Albarn is not the star of the show here. His usual snarky, witty lyrics are tempered by his more recent sober minded, sincere and slightly bitter observations of life. But most importantly the once disparate entities of Coxon and Albarn are somehow reunited sonically and they prove to be stronger and more appealing than ever now.
In fact most of the album can be split into Damon songs (where his lyrics take center stage) and Graham songs (where the comfortingly familiar riffs are the star of the show). But never do they sound like they are in competition with each other and never does the album feel disjointed.
Smart move boys.
The upbeat, quirky opener 'Lonesome Street' begins a slew of fantastically throwback tracks courtesy of some catchy Coxon riffs. 'New World Towers', whilst being one chilled out track, sounds like it could have nestled in nicely to 1998's 'The Great Escape'. 'Go Out' is 100% Coxon's baby, just as 'There Are Too Many Of Us' is authentically Damon's. And this is how the album goes. The mutual respect here is audible. Everything is shared and balanced.
The only thing that reels 'The Magic Whip' in from being entirely 90's throwback Blur are some of the ultra modern mastering techniques that come into play. They are merely servants in the vision though; day players. The synth loop that introduces 'Ice Cream Man' and electronic drum loops in 'Thought I Was A Superman' and 'Pyongyang' (the latter being Albarn's dedication to North Korea) both feel incredibly now.
The whole album pendulums from sunshine, feel-good indie pop ('Ong Ong', 'Ghost Ship', 'I Broadcast') to heartfelt, jaded and sweetly dark ballads ('My Terracotta Heart', 'New World Towers', 'Mirrorball'). If Damon really is as heavy handed and fiercely controlling as he says he is (and I believe it), it's not evident or restrictive here.
This may be the bands most carefully balanced, most thoughtful and strongest work. It's both mature and fresh. Though many panned 'Think Tank' for being too disjointed, I personally feel that there was way more of the inspiration imbued in that album. You can see and hear and smell Marrakesh on that album. I was expecting something similar here, being that it was the five days spent in Tokyo that started this ball rolling. There is plenty narrative on the human condition and on loneliness in big cities, but this is still very much a Blur album. They seem to have focused entirely on their own four parts and how they function together as a whole. It seems to definitely be more about the sound and the chemistry of the band than the outward inspiration. Counting that it's been a decade since they played, recorded and wrote together, not only is this understandable but it's a great idea and has yielded some stunning, memorable results.
WVS
Sometimes the risk of a comeback pays off. Sometimes the benefit of years of maturing and mellowing can be the thing that determines a comeback's success. As is the case here.
It is very evident, right from the opening track, that Coxon and Albarn respect each other now. 'The Magic Whip', beneath it's choppy, complex surface, is a polite and carefully balanced album. Self confessed control freak Albarn is not the star of the show here. His usual snarky, witty lyrics are tempered by his more recent sober minded, sincere and slightly bitter observations of life. But most importantly the once disparate entities of Coxon and Albarn are somehow reunited sonically and they prove to be stronger and more appealing than ever now.
In fact most of the album can be split into Damon songs (where his lyrics take center stage) and Graham songs (where the comfortingly familiar riffs are the star of the show). But never do they sound like they are in competition with each other and never does the album feel disjointed.
Smart move boys.
The upbeat, quirky opener 'Lonesome Street' begins a slew of fantastically throwback tracks courtesy of some catchy Coxon riffs. 'New World Towers', whilst being one chilled out track, sounds like it could have nestled in nicely to 1998's 'The Great Escape'. 'Go Out' is 100% Coxon's baby, just as 'There Are Too Many Of Us' is authentically Damon's. And this is how the album goes. The mutual respect here is audible. Everything is shared and balanced.
The only thing that reels 'The Magic Whip' in from being entirely 90's throwback Blur are some of the ultra modern mastering techniques that come into play. They are merely servants in the vision though; day players. The synth loop that introduces 'Ice Cream Man' and electronic drum loops in 'Thought I Was A Superman' and 'Pyongyang' (the latter being Albarn's dedication to North Korea) both feel incredibly now.
The whole album pendulums from sunshine, feel-good indie pop ('Ong Ong', 'Ghost Ship', 'I Broadcast') to heartfelt, jaded and sweetly dark ballads ('My Terracotta Heart', 'New World Towers', 'Mirrorball'). If Damon really is as heavy handed and fiercely controlling as he says he is (and I believe it), it's not evident or restrictive here.
This may be the bands most carefully balanced, most thoughtful and strongest work. It's both mature and fresh. Though many panned 'Think Tank' for being too disjointed, I personally feel that there was way more of the inspiration imbued in that album. You can see and hear and smell Marrakesh on that album. I was expecting something similar here, being that it was the five days spent in Tokyo that started this ball rolling. There is plenty narrative on the human condition and on loneliness in big cities, but this is still very much a Blur album. They seem to have focused entirely on their own four parts and how they function together as a whole. It seems to definitely be more about the sound and the chemistry of the band than the outward inspiration. Counting that it's been a decade since they played, recorded and wrote together, not only is this understandable but it's a great idea and has yielded some stunning, memorable results.
WVS
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