|
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Damon ends decade low but the band of the 90's end so high, July 10, 2000
In 1998 Damon Albarn split from his girlfriend of 7 years Elastica's Justine Frischmann. As with any great songwriter, he let his songs express how he was feeling and this is the painstaking theme running through Blur's sixth album '13'. This was very much a studio album as Blur locked themselves in studio 13 for six months to produce this, their best album for 5 years. Britain at this time was coming down from the musical high of Brit-pop and artificial boybands were again polluting the charts. This album was needed to show that musical forms can still be moved on and that no-one can master it as well as Blur. Early criticism was inevitable from the cynical British press but for many of its listeners, this album grows and grows on you until you to can feel Damon's pain.The gospel-filled opener 'Tender' bares Damon's emotions all too clearly, seducing you into their ever-growing wide musical spectrum. Graham Coxon's love of guitar distortion and experimentalism is apparent throughout the album giving it an edge like no other album that decade. 'Coffee and TV' (sung by Coxon), reaffirms your belief that Blur write the best melodic pop/rock songs today. '1992' includes typical Blur chord changes but as ever alters almost unrecognisably to an intriguing psychedilic/grunge format unlike anything else heard before. 'B.L.U.R.E.M.I' is the only song not worthy of being included as it unnecessarily re-introduces the 'Song 2', 'Chinese Burns' elements from their previous album 'Blur', but every song following it is near perfect emotional experimentalism. 'Battle', (with vocal styles reminiscent of underrated Welsh band Super Furry Animals that Damon is known to be a fan of) draws you in encompassing trip-hop, post-punk and grunge over such a sensitive backing that you can not understand how it works so well. 'Mellow Song' begins with Damon moving back to his acoustic roots while allowing his love for the dreamy organ sound not heard since thier debut album 'Leisure'. 'Trailerpark' allows Graham Coxon to show his underappreciated brilliance of lead guitar journeys and the drumming of Dave Rowntree throughout the album should not be underestimated. 'Caramel' is possibly the song of the album balancing mysery, pain, beauty and hurt in equal measures leaving you feel as close to music as is possible. 'Trimm Trabb' changes the mood once again with lyrics expressing how Damon ended up resigned to the fact the his relationship with Justine was over. Coxon excels on guitar once again and perhaps this song best represents the album and the adventurous production of William Orbit. 'No distance left to run' is pure beauty (Justine admitted that she cried through it the first time she heard it). It sees Damon lay all his feelings out on the table one last time. 'Optigan 1' cleverly ends the album and seems to sum up all the emotion that came before it using another of Damon's pet instruments. In an era when commercialism and conformity is encouraged in music, it is good to know that a band can still surprise and delight. Remember to listen to all of Blur's albums starting with 'leisure' and then you realise how diverse they are.
|
album 13 
