There is a sense of underlying melancholy and ghostly forlornness that punctuates Damon Albarn’s solo debut Everyday Robots. Such qualities will surely come as a surprise especially to those most familiar with Albarn’s role as frontman of Blur. With Blur, he is renowned for his flippancy towards England and English society. The band’s singles such as Popscene, Country House, Charmless Man and Parklife, among others, all take a jab at the idiosyncrasies of life with inimitable flair and biting humour.
While Albarn has intrinsically become synonymous with Blur in the past 20 years, he is no stranger to side projects and collaborations. The man has been churning out eclectic music under various names besides his own since 2001 including the Good, the Bad and the Queen, Rocket Juice and the Moon, and most well-known, his genre-bending virtual supergroup Gorillaz. Now, for the first time, the 46-year-old artist has finally released a long-overdue solo record under his name, and it’s nothing short of a revelation.
Billed as his “most soul-searching and autobiographical yet”, Everyday Robots
definitely lives up to the claim. Sounding somewhat defeated, Albarn sings “We are everyday robots on our phones/In the process of getting home,” on the wistful title track. In the background, a mechanical creak eerily represents the detached drudgery of life in the technology-dominated 21st century. “For everyday robots getting old/When our lips are cold/Lookin’ like standing stones/Out there on our own,” he sums up the essence not only of the track but also of the album itself.
Hostiles, You and Me, Hollow Ponds and The Selfish Giant (featuring Natasha Khan) plod along in a similar manner with understated textures and trance-like atmosphere. Offering a slice of sunshine amid the cloudy solemnity are the more upbeat offerings such as Lonely Press Play, Mr Tembo, Parakeet and Brian Eno-assisted Heavy Seas of Love. “Heavy seas of love/Radiance is in you,” Albarn sings with the Leytonstone City Mission Choir in tow before Eno reassures that “When the world is too tall/You can jump you won’t fall/You’re in safe hands”.
Everyday Robots carries with it a certain level of downbeat resignation brought on our increasing co-dependency with technology. Through soft pianos, string instrumentation and hushed melodies Albarn embarks on an earnest soul-searching quest in today’s tech-obsessed world. The overall mood here is that of a quiet reflection, and at times the sentiment can get so intimate that you feel like you’re encroaching on his personal space. Some may be put off by its sluggish monotony, but our advice is to give it some time and stick with it to the very end. This record is among the most rewarding listening experiences so far this year.
THE PLAYLIST
DCNXTR/ Beautiful Moment
Consisting of Charlie de Niparnan and Piruntar Kalasanimi, local electro-synth duo DCNXTR (“de connextor”) make refreshingly innovative music which stands out from the pack. As self-confessed synth-heads, Charlie and Piruntar share their passion for sound effects of all kinds. Their first single, Beautiful Moment, sees the duo seamlessly incorporating Charlie Chaplin’s iconic speech from the 1940 film The Great Dictator into a cacophony of fabricated noises. The result is whirlpool of eclectic aural pleasures that truly lives up to its title.
Michael Jackson (featuring Justin Timberlake)/ Love Never Felt So Good
In case you missed the memo, the Jackson Estate (via MJJ Music and Epic Records) has just released Xscape, the second posthumous compilation album of the late King of Pop following Michael in 2010. First recorded 30 years ago with Paul Anka, the first single Love Never Felt So Good gets a contemporary revamp courtesy of famed producer Timbaland and added verses from Timberlake. Here, the old school disco-soul vibe feels very current although Jackon’s vocals come off slightly tinny, and, as a result, get drowned out by all the studio sheen.
Courtney Love/ You Know My Name
The former Hole frontwoman has dropped her first new solo material in a decade called You Know My Name. Released last week as a double A-side along with Wedding Day, the track is a straight-up, high-octane punk ditty complete with face-melting guitar riffs and Love’s anguished growl. “And all this world is burning up/It’s time that you retire/Get ready for your last close-up/And all of you are fired, hey!” she spews out the caustic chorus like it’s nobody’s business. The song itself may not sound wildly original, but overall it makes for an impressive comeback for the 49-year-old rocker.
Indiana/ Solo Dancing
On her new single Solo Dancing, mysterious British newcomer Indiana serves up pure aural seduction based on dark driving synths and a subtle come-hither coo. “I go dancing by myself/I go dancing with no one else/Solo dancing push me as I go,” she sings in the voice reminiscent of Roisin Murphy against the sophisticated electro-pop background in the manner of Italian disco pioneer Giorgio Moroder. The track, devoid of arena-sized claps and drops that are de rigueur in today’s dance music, is surprisingly addictive in its brooding simplicity.
Nicki Minaj/ Yasss Bish!!
The outrageous MC has teamed up with Soulja Boy on her latest offering Yasss Bish!! which follows a string of new releases including Lookin’ Ass Nigga and Chiraq. Lifted from her upcoming album The PinkPrint, the track finds Minaj operating as normal, making bold claims and dissing people. Some of the targets here include pop heavyweights Katy Perry and Beyonce (“Bitches can’t beat me, they ain’t got da skill/Eye of the tiger, they ain’t got da kill/I am the Queen B, ’cause I’m a machine”).
