It’s been a tumultuous few years for Blur. The former Britpop kings have lost their founding guitarist and seen their frontman go on to worldwide success with not one but two side projects.
That said, on the band’s seventh LP, Think Tank, Blur revels in experimentation, proving there’s more to its music than guitar riffs and “Woo-Hoos!”
Lead singer Damon Albarn has used the last few years to branch out from his Britpop origins. First there was Gorillaz, Albarn’s collaboration with hip-hop guru Dan the Automator, a wildly successful blend of funk, punk and rap. Then Albarn pulled a Paul Simon and took off for Africa, recording with local artists to produce 2002’s Mali Music.
When Albarn returned, he seemed destined to leave the old Blur behind. He brought in Fatboy Slim to work on Tank, and that’s when all hell broke loose. Depending on whom you believe, guitarist Graham Coxon either jumped ship or was thrown overboard. Either way, Coxon appears on just one of Think Tank’s 13 tracks.
Meanwhile, Albarn picked up his remaining bandmates, built a state-of-the-art studio in Morocco and, like a kid in a candy store, created a sugar-high amalgam of genres.
The result is surprisingly engaging. The first single “Crazy Beat,” one of two tracks produced by Fatboy Slim, is backed by the infectious drumming of Dave Rowntree and distorted vocals used as rhythm elements. “I’m on my mobile / I’m talking to the president…” Albarn sings in his distinctive squall. “Trying to get him to party with me / And even offered him ecstasy.” Politics aside, the song is full of raucous revelry.
The album has other moments of creative brilliance. On “Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club” and “Out of Time,” in particular, Albarn, Rowntree, and bassist Alex James create a worldly, sophisticated sound.
Not all the experiments work. “Caravan” is a mess of synths and scratchy vocals, and “Jets” overstays its welcome by a good two minutes.
While Blur sometimes slips into old territory, Think Tank is most brilliant when the band breaks new ground. Perhaps the album’s most telling lyric is the very first one. “I ain’t got nothing to be scared of,” Albarn sings on “Ambulance.” He’s taking his band new directions with wild abandon, and no critic or jaded ex-band member can stop him.
