Blur: The Ballad of Darren review | Alexis Petridis's album of the week

(Parlophone)
Nostalgic melancholy fills Blur’s ninth studio release, a brave album that exhibits the band have something germane to say about getting previous

‘We’re taking down the scaffolds very quickly,” sings Damon Albarn, halfway by means of Barbaric, presumably one of the songs he wrote for Blur’s ninth studio album while on tour with Gorillaz final yr. Whether it was meant as such or not, the image of a venerable building being revealed to the general public as soon as more looks like an anticipatory nod in the direction of Blur’s second reunion, 33 years on from their debut single.

It has, up to now, been a exceptional success. There have been stadium gigs and pageant headlining slots, at which the previous hits have been rolled out to giddily euphoric response, and the touching sight of Albarn being lowered to tears on stage by the reception afforded them at Wembley.