The Good, The Bad And The Queen

Damon Albarn has always had an ear for a catchy tune, as his time in Blur and Gorillaz attests. But his latest project--featuring Paul Simonon of the Clash, the Verve's Simon Tong, and Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen, with Gnarls Barkley's Danger Mouse producing--is more of a grower. It's still classic Albarn, full of indie pop noodling and Kinks-esque observations (especially on "Kingdom of Doom"), but the instrumentation is richer and more layered, as repeated listening will reveal.

Damon Albarn spent the first half of his career as a pop provocateur, but he's spent the
second half as a musician, and nobody seems more surprised about this than he is. After
achieving Nineties stardom with Blur, he's settled into a head-down, hardworking life of
adventurous projects like Gorillaz and his new band, the Good, the Bad and the Queen.
The group is an odd mix, to say the least -- Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guit... More >