Blur has announced the release of their ninth studio album, The Ballad of Darren, in July.
This CD is the UK group’s first in eight years, following the release of ‘The Magic Whip’ in 2015. The album features 10 new tracks, with the first single, ‘The Narcissist’, already available.
“It’s a backlash, a reflection and a comment on our current situation,” frontman Damon Albarn said in a statement obtained by Pitchfork.
Guitarist Graham Coxon added, “The older and crazier we get, the more we need what we play to be loaded with the right emotion and intention.” Sometimes a simple riff just isn’t enough.
Bassist Alex James added, “For a long-term relationship to be meaningful, you have to be able to surprise each other and that’s what we continue to do.”
Formed in London in 1988, the band – consisting of Alex James, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree – went on hiatus in 2015 before announcing their reunion last year.
Blur have planned a concert to promote the new album in their hometown of Colchester, Essex, at the Colchester Arts Center on May 20th. In addition, the group has to give two concerts at Wembley Stadium in July and take part in the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, as well as the Beauregard Festival and the Vieilles Charrues in France.
The Ballad of Darren is due out July 21st on Parlophone.