|
Think Tank
05/22/2003 7:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Ken Micallef
Much has been made of the departure of Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, but that loss makes little difference to the creative waterfall that is Think Tank. Singer-lyricist Damon Albarn has always been prescient, his compositions often moving beyond commercial style. Mali Music, his solo jaunt into African sounds, was half-baked by some standards, but Albarn's musical daring in that project and in the super successful Gorillaz has influenced the messy melange of Think Tank.
In an era when everything is up for grabs, Think Tank is as experimental as anything by Kids Koala and 606, yet as melodically traditional as Nick Drake and the Clash. There is a blue cast to the record, especially in introspective piano tinklers like "Out Of Time" and "Sweet Song," while punk ravers like "We've Got A File On You" are as raw as anything Blur have recorded. There's a rat's army of bleeping synths and streaming sampler patterns throughout Think Tank, but also the organic Afrobeat flourishes of "Brothers And Sisters" and the bumbling "Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club." Alternately, the Fatboy Slim produced "Crazy Beat" proves Blur can still make Trainspotting anthems for nutters worldwide. Despite this diversity, Think Tank is covered in a veil of melancholia that sounds like resignation, reflected in the album's lazy, grab-bag feel. It's sad and sweet at the same time.
Like Radiohead and Super Furry Animals, talented bands who know the future does not begin with guitar rock, Blur are staking their claim for 22nd Century viability using everything in their arsenal. Think Tank is a thoughtful album that doesn't think too much.
|
