triple j Pick of the Week – Blur

BLUR
Go Out

Happy Friday! Iconic Brit-pop legends Blur surprised the world this morning with not only new music but news of their first new album in 12 years. The band streamed a live press conference from a Chinese restaurant in London, a nod to the first day of the Chinese New Year and the fact their new LP, entitled The Magic Whip, was recorded in secret at Avon Studios in Hong Kong during the 2013 Summer. News of the recording session came to a head last year, but Damon Albarn dismissed the hype saying the 15 songs they put down “may just be one of those records that never comes out”.

Guitarist Graham Coxon spoke with Matt & Alex on triple j this morning and said that The Magic Whip will sound “pretty varied”, with familiar Blur elements sitting alongside new experimental sounds. The first taster, Go Out, shares the urban claustrophobic feeling that the band shared when recording in Hong Kong and seems to combine not only elements of Blur’s 25 years of releases, but also Albarn’s solo work and side projects.

The Magic Whip will be released worldwide on April 24.