It’s hard to define exactly what expectations were for ‘Everyday Robots’, Damon Albarn’s solo debut. As frontman of Blur and leader of Gorillaz he found novel ways to confound expectations, pausing only to do the same during collaborations with Africa Express and The Good The Bad & The Queen, a supergroup also featuring Paul Simonon of the Clash.
His work to date has spanned maudlin ballads, chirpy Britpop statements and chart-dominating pop, never quite fitting into any of the pigeonholes set aside for him. Suitably, ‘Everyday Robots’ is another beguiling collection; often subdued and introspective but also mesmerising at times. It’s quite unlike anything he’s done before.
From its simple, unavoidably grey, cover art down there’s a heavy-lidded atmosphere, with the pace, curated with help from producer Richard Russell, rarely exceeding a plod. Each sample, shot of strings or piano line is perfectly executed, jabbing beneath the surface to cast some subtly effective melodies in relief.
Albarn is concerned with modern society and our continuing, increasingly meek, submission to technology. If the title track is too broad to make headway, then Lonely Press Play is more successful, with Albarn’s use of both ‘you’ and ‘I’ in the chorus making its story of retreat all the more effective. On The Selfish Giant, a song that negotiates the anxiety that attends long-term relationships, he laments: “It’s hard to be a lover when the TV’s on.”
Elsewhere, Albarn has turned the focus inward. ‘Everday Robots’ has been billed as an autobiographical record and while it’s hardly a page-turning tell-all, there are several moments where he is able to offer glimpses into his patchwork career and some of the stories behind it.
While there has been much attention focused on You & Me and its brief detailing of Albarn’s heroin use, something he described as “one of my ghosts” in a recent Newsnight spot, he is also playful on Mr. Tembo, the story of an elephant he encountered in Tanzania, and willing to retrace his travels through youth and London to one of the moments that helped craft Britpop. “Modern Life was sprayed onto a wall,” he sings on Hollow Ponds.
Heavy Seas Of Love is a fitting closer, a celebratory song that is, along with being a brilliant juxtaposition, perhaps the album’s best. ‘Everyday Robots’ is something of a hard sell on first listen, but over time its charms become more obvious. Given that Albarn is difficult to read at the best of times, that’s perhaps to be expected. This is an album that deserves to be persevered with.
Damon Albarn Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed April 30 2014 - LONDON Rivoli Ballroom
Thu May 01 2014 - LONDON Queen Mary University
Fri May 30 2014 - BRISTOL Trinity
Sat May 31 2014 - PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms
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