The Ballad Of Darren
PARLOPHONE
ALBUM OF THE MONTH
8/10
ONE afternoon in early May, Blur took to social media to make an announcement. It was not, as widely expected, news of their upcoming album – but instead a nod to , which turned 30 that same week. For a band this advanced into their career, the weird logistics of a new album announcement coinciding with one anniversary or other are inevitable, but this one seemed especially poignant. In a colour promotional video accompanying their 1993 single “For Tomorrow”, Blur – then in their mid-twenties – were filmed on the step of a number 12 bus, chasing pigeons through Trafalgar Square and flying kites on Primrose Hill. Here, we were reminded, were a band bristling with confidence and full of early promise. But for a band who have made a habit of not repeating themselves, when you’ve pulled off a successful reunion once, what do you do for an encore?
