Review Summary: Cohesion be damned…
On the fringe for new music, I decided to give The Magic Whip a listen because I do find it interesting how old bands and new releases tend to never get much of a justified listen because, as always, they’re instantly compared to their earlier records. Especially is the case for Blur, who came back in 2015 with The Magic Whip. But I’ll make it very clear, I haven’t heard any of Blur’s prior records, at least not in full or not serious listening, so…clean slate!
If there’s anything I must highlight before entering this record, it’s that cohesion be damned! I don’t know what effort went into the track-listing, but it definably holds back this record from being anything cohesively impressive. Take for instance opener ‘Lonesome Street,’ which is probably one of the least interesting tracks on this record. With jittery synth sequences and a pop rock flavour, I suppose it could be a tone setter, though I’d beg to differ when it’s put up against the melancholic down-tempo track ‘New World Towers.’
My favourites on this record are the heavier tracks such as ‘Go Out’ and ‘A Broadcast’ with prominent stomping bass lines and TV-Box emulating guitars. That said, more sub-sued cuts such as Ice Cream Man prove for good listens. With extra Bossonova flavoured percussion which are a reoccurring feature throughout the record, put up against blippy synth-sequencing, it establishes this weird mix between Technology and Instrument. While infusing electronics with rock instrumentation maybe something cliche since say a band like Radiohead, I feel Blur use synths and drum-machines in an intentional manor rather then for a gimmick. It’s how low-key they’re often used. Though I Was A Spaceman is case and point, with synthetic bass and drums rotating in a samba beat infused with a delay rich acoustic guitar providing licks along with David Albarns vocals (Though, I have to say it…I’m always waiting for the line ‘Love is in the air’ to come in eventually).
Vocals performances are decent enough on The Magic Whip. It’s still very typical of the brit-pop nature of the 90’s, with a sort of ‘don’t care’ attitude towards delivery. However, lyrics on this record don’t prove too fruitful either. Much like the music, the lyrics don’t really provide too much of a purpose or goal towards the songs on The Magic Whip, and I think that’s where The Magic Whip comes flat. Track-listing won’t have done that much to further enhance this record, because a lot of it feels very for the sake of music rather than of purpose. There’s no over-all message or goal as to what the album is trying to convey. The Japanese (Hong Kong) vibe though does save the record from dipping too hard, and the mixes definitely come very colourful, such as the opening of ‘A Broadcast’ which feels speedy, like a rush through midnight traffic as brake lights whiz passed to create streaks of red.
If there’s anything I do admire about The Magic Whip, it’s how flexible Blur are. Cuts like Ghost Ship and even Ong Ong feel bold in the sense that these could have easily become some very mediocre tracks, but they actually feel just as relevant as the other cuts, even if quite different from the majority of The Magic Whip.
Despite weaknesses in focus, which is further exemplified with the zig-zag track-listing, I feel The Magic Whip is still very relevant in the realm of alternative rock, even if it leans more on the traditional side of rock. For a band that holds quite a history, The Magic Whip feels rather refreshing and new in territory. I enjoy it time to time!
