Blur have confirmed on Facebook they will release a new album entitled ‘The Magic Whip‘ in the spring.
The story of an eighth Blur album has been an ongoing saga since midway through 2013 when the band recorded new material while on tour in Asia. A year earlier they had released the double A-side single ‘Under The Westway‘/’The Puritan‘ in celebration of their gig at Hyde Park to mark the end of the 2012 London Olympics, and all signs seemed to be pointing towards a first LP since 1999 featuring the original quartet of Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.
However, both Albarn and James were still painting an uncertain future for the band as 2013 progressed, despite more stories of recording sessions emerging from producer William Orbit, who had apparently been less than satisfied with his experience in the studio.
February 2014 found Albarn revealing to NME that Blur had 15 songs completed, but no concrete plans for a new album, and he instead spent most of last year concentrating on solo commitments, telling the same publication a little later that those tracks ‘may never be released’.
There’s obviously been progress made since then, and ‘The Magic Whip’ has finally been confirmed for release on April 27th. An appearance back at Hyde Park for the British Summer Time Festival has also been confirmed for June 20th.
‘The Magic Whip’ tracklist:
‘Lonesome Street’
‘New World Towers’
‘Go Out’
‘Ice Cream Man’
‘Thought I Was a Spaceman’
‘I Broadcast’
‘My Terracotta Heart’
‘There Are Too Many Of Us’
‘Ghost Ship’
‘Pyongyang’
‘Ong Ong’
‘Mirrorball’