Search - The Good the Bad & The Queen :: Good the Bad & The Queen

One of Albarn's Best

A. Lynch | Autumn Mists, Honalee | 11/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I was destined to buy this album, whether it was good or not. Since I discovered Blur back in High School, I've followed Damon Albarn from project to project, thoroughly enjoying every album he's released. The Good, the Bad & the Queen was the next stop on what has been a very interesting and exhilarating musical journey.



Blur and Gorillaz are all about immediacy. There are brilliant layers in the music if you should listen some more, but you'll still get a lot out of the first listen. TGTB&TQ are not. These are songs which require a patient ear, and a few listens before everything starts to sink in. There's an air of melancholy that permeates the whole piece, a uniquely British air. And the music is quietly superb. It does take a number of listens, but the layers are unbelievable, and the final impact of the songs is astounding.



Whenever you're hearing an album for the first few times, there's a high that can often make it seem better than it truly is. For a while, I listened to this album so much that it had worn out its welcome. My opinion of it lessened with each subsequent listen, so I put it away. I pulled it out just recently for the first time in almost eight months, and it blew me away. I had forgotten how truly, truly great it is. One of Albarn's finest accomplishments, and with a catalog like his own, that's truly impressive."