Blur Announce New Album 'The Ballad of Darren', Share New Single The Narcissist
Thursday, 18 May 2023
Written by Laura Johnson
Photo: Reuben Bastienne-Lewis
Blur will return with a new album this summer.
The long-awaited follow-up to 2015's 'The Magic Whip' is called 'The Ballad of Darren' and will arrive on July 21 through Parlophone. Frontman Damon Albarn said:
“This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now.”
“The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention," said guitarist Graham Coxon. "Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job.” Bassist Alex James added: “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.”
Drummer Dave Rowntree also commented: “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.”
As a preview, they've shared the single The Narcissist, an intricately composed yet breezy indie-rock offering. Check it out below alongside a trailer for the album, plus its cover and tracklist.
As a warm-up for their European festival sets and huge headline concerts in Dublin and London this summer, the Britpop legends have lined up intimate gigs in Colchester, Eastbourne, Newcastle and Wolverhampton during May, with the first show taking place tomorrow. Head below for details.
'The Ballad of Darren' tracklist:
The Ballad
St Charles Square
Barbaric
Russian Strings
The Everglades (For Leonard)
The Narcissist
Goodbye Albert
Far Away Island
Avalon
The Heights
Blur Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Fri May 19 2023 - COLCHESTER Arts Centre
Sun May 21 2023 - EASTBOURNE Winter Gardens
Fri May 26 2023 - WOLVERHAMPTON Civic at Halls Wolverhampton
Sun May 28 2023 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE O2 City Hall
Sat June 24 2023 - MALAHIDE Malahide Castle & Gardens
Sat July 08 2023 - LONDON Wembley Stadium
Sun July 09 2023 - LONDON Wembley Stadium
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