Blur made their long awaited return with the new album, 'The Magic Whip', a couple weeks back. We have since had a long enough amount of time to take a better listen to the bands 8th studio album, and 'There Are Too Many Of Us' has become a real stand out for us.
It's not the custom Britpop fuelled Blur, there's something more mature about it, and for a band that's been on the go for 27 years now, that's surely to be expected. 'The Magic Whip' still possesses some of that effortless racket of years gone by but 'There Are Too Many Of Us' is a prime example of how Damon and co's sound has since re-modified itself. It opens powerfully, with ever present violin percussionists that set the tone for the rest of the track. It sounds like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster, which must only bode well. 'There Are Too Many Of Us' is a building track, it keeps its same tone throughout, but the beat increases as it goes on, resulting in a climatic ending. It's sounds as though it should belong on Albarn's Mercury Prize nominated 'Everyday Robots', but we're glad it doesn't as it offers Blur a new dimension. Though they will forever be loved and remembered as one of the icons of the Britpop era, tracks like 'There Are Too Many Of Us' will still be appreciated. 'The Magic Whip' is a brilliant compliment to Blur's ability and attitude, still being able to offer fresh sounds this far into their highly successful career only portrays the quartets hunger for the industry in an even better light. Blur are a band that won't go away, even when we thought they had, and following the success of 'The Magic Whip', expect them to go on even longer.
RIFFED's Rating: 9/10
Listen to 'There Are Too Many Of Us' via YouTube: