THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE QUEEN
The Good The Bad and The Queen
EMI
· Latest hype band creates sketches of sublime perfection.
Given how Damon Albarn's Gorillaz project eclipsed the success of anything he pulled off with Blur's first decade of existence (keep in mind we're talking strictly international sales-wise here), it's easy to doubt The Good The Bad and The Queen (TGTBATQ) as a genuine artifact. The notion of Albarn crammed in a London studio with Paul Simonon (The Clash), Tony Allen (Africa70, Fela Kuti), and Simon Tong (erm, The Verve), all under the production guidance of Danger Mouse (huh?), points gently towards either a self-indulgent, world-beat-influenced detour (yawn) or, worse yet, an all-out disaster.
But then it starts. Deceptively simple and stripped back, the songs of The Good The Bad and The Queen rank easily amongst the finest pop melodies Albarn's ever written. What at first seems slight and merely sketched out, soon reveals the experienced hands of those behind it – a full understanding of the role of silence, of holding back, of making every note count. By the third spin, TGTBATQ easily ranks as one of the most intoxicating records released this decade. It truly lives up to Albarn's definition of the record as a "postcard from London," the genuine followup to Blur's crowning achievement Parklife. No one's quite captured the postcard ennui of England quite so well since The Kinks, and that's saying a lot.
A "Northern Whale" who "wouldn't leave/ until all England's tears are done," swims up the Thames only to die, a sea of Albarn's ooh's lulling it to rest. "Herculean" finds Albarn "standing on the canal/ by the gasworks," questioning the state of things with a resigned sigh of, "it's bigger than you/ the welfare state." Ray Davies mourned for the growing loss of proper England on Village Green Preservation Society, and not since Parklife has Albarn carried his torch quite so high. "Drink all day/ because the country's at war," proclaims "Kingdom of Doom." "A Soldier's Tale's" beautiful image of "birdsong in the night/ the sound drags a net through the twilight" is followed quickly by "emptiness in computers bothers me," the loss of simple pleasures hearkening back to Davies's protectful gaze over the village green. "Green Fields" is one of Albarn's finest mini-masterpieces, gazing back over a tidal wave of change in his home country. Anyone anywhere can relate to the sad effects of urban change inherent in the lines, "we saw the green fields turn into stone/ such lonely homes." Matched with a heartbreaking melody, it's a perfect confection.
A world removed from Gorillaz, Albarn and his impeccable cast of supporting players have just made the definitive closing gesture on BritPop. If the rumours are true, there's no further plans for TGTBATQ to record together again. This record alone ensures they'll not be forgotten.
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