Blur frontman and Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn has been making music for more than two decades, working on everything from side projects to supergroups to Chinese-language operas, but next week he’s doing something new: releasing his first solo album.
While some of the previews of the album suggested something more upbeat, it’s actually very melancholy (sample choruses include “It’s hard to be a lover when the TV’s on” and “If you’re lonely, press play”), exploring the isolation we can feel when so many of our experiences are mediated by technology. On the opener and title track, “Everyday Robots,” Albarn begins, “We are everyday robots on our phones … Out there on our own.” In other words, it’s the perfect album to stream right now, via iTunes, on your tablet, computer, or iPhone.
