2007, Virgin Records
Once upon a time, Damon Albarn was hailed as a young savior of Anglo rock n’ roll- a Brit who could potentially restore Union Jack rock to the glory of its illustrious past.
Sadly, as evidenced with his latest incarnation The Good, the Bad, and the Queen, Albarn’s potential remains unrealized. His projects are still often greeted with hopeful interest, but Albarn—now viewed as an elder statesman—once again sounds too tired to be bothered with much of what he’s doing.
The Good, the Bad, and the Queen is the latest installment, and like so much of Albarn’s work, it is frustrating in its consistency. Albarn’s apparent lethargy is unlike Sticky Fingers-era Mick Jagger/magnificent exhaustion. Rather, each vocal performance seems phoned in.
The other elements in this so-called supergroup lack enthusiasm save Paul Simonon’s bass playing. Perhaps he’s simply happy to be working again, and it’s great to hear his big, fat, Reggae-inflected bass lines again. The only other saving grace of an otherwise mediocre album comes at the end on the title track, which is an awesome way to close out a disappointment.
C+
I quite like this record.
I’ve only really listened to it twice, but
each time got better.
I like how beautifully understated it
is, rather than flashing everybody around
due to its super-group status.
Albarn and company have greatly
flaunted all expectations I’m sure,
and I think in a good way, even
though Tony Allen’s barely on the record it seems.