Blur have shared details of a new album, called The Ballad Of Darren.
Out in July, Blur frontman Damon Albarn started writing music for the album in autumn 2022 while touring with Gorillaz, before the band came together in a studio to record it during the early months of this year. It’s the band’s first new album since 2015’s The Magic Whip, and will be released amid a run of summer live shows that will take in appearances at Wembley Stadium and Primavera Sound. You can listen to lead track ‘The Narcissist’ above.
In a statement, Albarn described The Ballad Of Darren as "an aftershock record," which offers "a reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now." The band’s Graham Coxon added: "The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job."
Parlophone will release The Ballad Of Darren on July 21, 2023.
