Back catalogue: Rock (All)

Review: The acclaimed 2007 album by Babyshambles, Shotters Nation, captures the longstanding second band led by enfant terrible Pete Doherty and company, at the height of their pop powers. With four songs also co-written by Doherty's then-girlfriend Kate Moss, some of whose live performances also feature on the record, Shotters Nation includes lead singles 'Delivery' and 'You Talk' in its setlist. Both singles, though having invited comparisons to surefire rock greatness over the years - from The Cure to Lou Reed - proffer a sleazy-peasy energy smelted in the furnace of Doherty, Ficek and co.'s collective discontent: "here comes a delivery/straight from my heart of misery", goes 'Delivery', such dour lyrics set against rather thrashy guitars, capturing the bleaker side of the grim thematic coin that also surfaces hedonism and gregariousness on the other - peak Doherty, as stated.

Review: Blur fans might have been forgiven by approaching 'The Magic Whip', the band's first album in thirteen years and first with lynchpin guitarist Graham Coxon for sixteen, with a degree of trepidation. Yet, in heartwarming fashion, this eighth effort stands as both a testimony to the band's enduring appeal and their experimental, restless side. Written in jam sessions and via an exchange of ideas from Coxon and Damon Albarn, it nods graciously to all eras of the band, whilst it also offering fresh influences - Coxon has talked of 'sci-fi folk' - and a plaintive air of melancholy hangs over many of the well-crafted ditties herein. Yet most importantly, 'The Magic Whip' is possessed of all the charm, ennui and exquisite songwriting of this iconic band at their best.

Review: One of the most successful British bands of the last 3 decades, Blur are back with their first new album in over 8 years: The Ballad of Darren. The album was produced by James Ford and recorded in Studio 13, London and Devon, and is the sound of a band at the very top of their game.

The Ballad of Darren is the band's ninth studio album, their first since the chart-topping The Magic Whip in 2015, with artwork featuring an image by British photographer Martin Parr.

Region code: ABC (universal)

Review: For all of the "it's like 1995 all over again" analysis that greeted the surprise return of Britpop stars Blur, it would count for nothing if the music they were making was a hollow pastiche of the past. Fortunately, The Ballad of Darren, the band's first new album since 2015, is a giddy blast from the past - and reportedly one recorded in a much more cooperative and good-humoured atmosphere than expected. Fans will immediately feel at home, with tracks such as 'St Charles Square' and 'The Narcissist' offering that now familiar mix of weary vocals, squally guitars, low-slung bass and shuffling drums. Whether or not it's a "return to form" is debatable, but it's certainly a refreshing blast from the past for those came of age in the 1990s (and those inspired by Britpop's messy, lager-fuelled energy).

Review: It's funny to think about the Blur v Oasis contest that defined British music in the mid-1990s. Then bright young things looking to shake things up after years of electronic rave dominance, the fact so much emphasis was placed on these two bands makes for an incomplete story of those times, while their individual output was not quite polar but certainly harder to compare than headlines suggested. Skip forward a few decades and differences are now pronounced. The Gallagher Brothers have pursued relatively familiar sounds in the 21st Century. Blur, or at least Damon Albarn, created a 3D animated virtual band while overseeing the first few editions of the globally acclaimed Manchester International Festival. Now, 33 years after the debut single, Blur return with studio LP number nine, and it's a stunner. Not so much growing old gracefully as tackling challenges that come with it, it's though proving, poignant and grittily woozy.

Review: Blur's performance at Wembley Stadium on July 9, 2023, displayed the band's enduring charisma in all its glory. The sold-out show captivated the 90,000-strong crowd with an energetic mix of classic hits and bold new material. The concert kicked off with 'St Charles Square,' setting a high bar with its bold new wave flair, the energy growing as much loved singles like 'There's No Other Way,' 'End Of A Century' and 'Country House' fly by. Guitarist Graham Coxon's distinctive style shines throughout, especially during 'Out Of Time' and the bluesier moments that follow it, while Albarn's emotional connection with the crowd is evident on 'Beetlebum' and 'Under The Westway.' The night concludes with a high-spirited encore, featuring 'Girls And Boys' and the uplifting 'The Universal,' making it clear that Blur still have the power to enchant and engage on a grand scale.

Review: Blur's Live at Wembley Stadium captures the iconic Britpoppers at their monumental height, when the reformed foursome performed two nights in July 2023 in front of sold out crowds. On triple LP, this is the most robust of the two versions on vinyl that highlight the concert. The band effortlessly plays highlights from their entire 30 plus year career - everything from early singles 'There's No Other Way' and 'Popscene' to the much more recent 'The Narcissist' - as well as anthems like 'Girls and Boys', 'Song 2' and 'Parklife' that are synonymous with the Essex band. You also here one of their last singles in 'The Narcissist'. Not too many bands can fill a venue like Wembley Stadium on back to back nights - the electric performances captured here are the reason why they can.