Blur Album: “Think Tank [PA]”

One shouldn't put off 'Think Tank'after only a few listens as, with other Blur albums, it's not instantly likeable. The album takes time to grown on you and when it does, you'd appreciate the journey. I agree that the guitar department lack the creative flair of Coxon, but it's not that greatly missed. Coxon's presence would undoubtedly add an intrinsic vulnerability, tenderness and restraint to the cocky Damon-fest overload that is Think Tank, but this is an extremely enjoyable ride, nevertheless.

I am great fan of their Life(MLIR, Parklife, TGE) trilogy and the series will always have a special place in my heart. However, I enjoy this album much, much more than 'Blur' or '13', a good sign since I've only gotten the album for less than a month, and still on my journey of discovery.

The songs are varied in style, the oompah-pah-fun-fair chassis that defined the three Life albums is still evident (which is a Blur feature that i've always loved), exotic instruments adds interest, Damon's voice, which alternates between a sleepy resentful drawl and a that of a charming naughty boy's, entertains, all of which make for a great listen.

The highlights for me are :

2. Out of Time : this is a great example of not trying to hard. A quitely-beautiful genious of simplicity, layered with a background of haunting morrocan orchestra. At first listen it sounded plain, but after awhile it was magic.

3. Good Song: A nice easy tune that conjures images of lazy, carefree days. It's a Good Song, really.

4. Caravan: Beautiful, I expected it to go into guitar overdrive and then remembered that Graham is not in the band anymore. Which,frankly, is not that bad a thing after all.

5. Gene by Gene: Extremely catchy, happy, jumpy, can't stop singing to this. Dan Abnormal on a pogo-stick!

The only major grouse I have is the inclusion of Crazy Beat which I believe is the second single of the album. Not only does it reek of the ghost of Song2, it sounds just like Bugman, only more brainless having been stripped off Coxon's redeeming guitar riffs. But it seems that a lot of people love this track so it might be that I'm getting old.

In my opinion, Think Tank doesn't alienate early Blur fans as much as their two previous album. This, to me, is FINALLY the proper continuation to The Great Escape.

And to think, I almost dismissed this album. Heck, this being my second Blur album (yes, I'm so far behind the times, I can barely see straight), I was ready to dismiss them altogether. On first listen, "Ambulance" sounded dissonant and illogically-rooted, with no discernable melody whatsoever. "Crazy Beat" was a bland attempt at gettin' some rockin' on this record, wasn't it? And "Jets" is overlong and masturbatory, right? Yet, I found I couldn't stop listening to this record. It continued to call me, beckoning me to play it... and finally, I had the answers to all my proposed questions.

No, "Ambulance" is a brilliant, confident opener of floating proportions. "Crazy Beat" is far from bland, a "holy crap! Let's go all-out!" in the middle of a rather subdued record. And "Jets," though certainly loopy and near-tiring, is perhaps one of the greatest jazz compositions in recent memory (and on a Blur album to boot). This was the album I had never properly discovered, and I was now discovering it, feeling amongst each of its rhythms for a sense of meaning, for I was to surely "disappear" amongst the folds of Damon Albarn's voice and Alex James's funk-defying bass lines.

And if "Out of Time" were any more beautiful, it'd be illegal. It truly "flows," a masterpiece of BOTH sound and melody, which is certainly a hard thing to create. "Good Song" eats the space between your ears with equal, but perhaps more longing, beauty, reverberating and repeating until your concscious mind is gone and all that is left is the music and you. "Caravan" may seem drab and boring and whatnot at first, but when those keyboards kick in halfway through... you'd better watch out, or you'll find your soul immersed in love. "We've Got a File on You" makes my tongue salivate in happiness, just to be cancelled out by the relentless groove of "Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club," cause "SURELY WE WILL DISAPPEAR."

And it all leads up to one of the greatest social distortions to ever reach my ears, "Battery in Your Leg." It seems a normal piano ballad at first. Of course, this is only a temporary feeling, as Albarn's third verse is accompanied with an onslaught of Coxon's bffermffflequaa (my personal name for it) guitar sound. If you're not careful (as in, if your mind wanders at all while listening to this song), your head will certainly explode.

And in the end, that's exactly what Think Tank is: a head-exploder. A mind-blower. And a beautiful reflection of something you've never seen, someplace you've never been, a somehow you've never questioned. A beauty, everpresent and everlonging for ears, whether disconcerned or intrigued. This is the essence. This is the album of the year.

This is without doubt the best blur record ever. This has it all: Punk on We've got a file on You.

Electronica on Ambulance and others.

Traditional Blur on Good Song, Out of Time and others

And Jazz on the excellent track: Jets

Plus a lot more.

This is a phenomenon in the Blur catalog. Very different than their previous albums and minus lead guitarist Graham Coxon Think Tank is ethereal and beautiful.

Very reminiscent in spirit to the experimental phase of David Bowie (Low/"Heroes") Think Tank has a very loose and adventurous style to it. I'm not saying that he is imitating those albums just that there is a real sense of exploration in it. Not only does the album feel more adventuresome but the music feels more honest and bare than from previous efforts.

Personal favorites include the epic Ambulance, Good Song and Battery In The Leg. The latter includes Coxon before he left the band. The only song I can do without is generic punkish "We've Got A File On You" which fortunately runs in at barely over a minute.

Albarn said in an interview that he felt like this was Blur's first true album. I can see why. His adoration of Ray Davies (Kinks) was always very clear in his song writing. Although it never felt like a total parody it always seemed like he took too much from that kitchen. Blur was definitely showing signs of breaking away with the menacing 13; Think Tank comes off like its stranger cousin. Although it doesn't have as sharp of a hit single like Tender (Crazy Beat was the single, which is catchy) Think Tank has kept my attention more than their previous beloved records because it seems like there is more substance in it because of its personal nature.

(The five stars are primarily based on the music that was released when Think Tank came out. On the grand scale of things I would give it 4 star rating.)

First of all,I'd like to say that I was never a really big fan of Blur. I was really into Gorillaz, in which Damon Albarn is in, and I thought I'd explore some of his earlier work. I ended up loving a lot of Blur's songs. But they stopped coming out with cd's, so I stopped listening to them. Well let me just say that they did a great job with this one, their last, without Mr. Cox, and with Damon on guitar. Great job guys. Well, here's my review. I hope it helps.

Ambulance-(9/10)- A nice opening song with a good rhythm.

Out of time(8/10)-A soothing song with a nice beat.

Crazy Beat-(8-10)-Another great song, with a punky edge.

Good Song(10/10)-It's exactaly what the title says it is.

On the way to the Club-(7/10)-A nice sound, but a bit too slow paced.

Brothers and Sisters(8/10)-Powerful lyrics. It relates to our world at it's current state.

Caravan(7/10)-A nice beat, but a bit slow.

We've got a file on you-(6/10)-A song with almost no lyrics but a catchy phrase.

Morrocan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club-(A song with a great beat that just doesn't let you down. Great guitar solo.

Sweet song(8/10)-A song with smooth lyrics which soothe you.

Jets(8/10)-A nice song to listen to in the car, because of its length.

Gene by Gene-(9/10)- A song with a very catchy toon.

Battery in Your Leg-(9/10)-A nice song to end it all.

I hope this helps you make your decision.Blur really is a great band, and the album is really worth it. Thanks for your time.