Blur's latest revival collapsed at Coachella 2024, where the reunited foursome met an audience that was indifferent and ignorant of the very concept of Britpop. It was a far cry from the crowd that found Blur at Wembley Stadium half a year earlier. Early July 2023, a few weeks before the release of their comeback album, The Ballad of DarrenBlur played a pair of shows at the iconic London venue, which were greeted by punters ready to revisit the glory days of Cool Britannia.
The cavernous confines of Wembley may have been new territory for Blur, but reunions are commonplace for the band. In the waning days of the 2000s, they made their first comeback, regrouping shortly afterwards to play a concert in Hyde Park to coincide with the closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympics. Both of these events were honored with the release of a commemorative double album, as was the 2023 performance in the form Live at Wembley Stadiumwhich is also accompanied by Blur: To The End, a feature-length documentary documenting the band's comeback. Available in a variety of formats, Live at Wembley Stadium best heard on the double CD/triple LP incarnation containing the entire Sunday show, Blur's second and final gig during their Wembley tenure, a performance that carries a palpable sense of triumph: This is a band willing to communicate with his devoted followers.
These listeners were ready to indulge in nostalgia, eager to shout “Parklife!” the moment Phil Daniels took to the stage to reprise his starring role from 1994. From a certain angle, that's exactly what Blur delivered, devoting their set to the hits and album tracks that form their core song. At least 16 of his 30 songs were also featured Parklive, the album reminiscent of their 2012 performance, confirmation that the Blur canon is pretty much established. As common as these tunes are, the music is very different from it Parklive, a record that now plays like a happy relic of pre-Brexit Britain. The tempos are slower, particularly on such dizzying rockers as “Popscene” and “Advert”, there's a noticeable gravel in Damon Albarn's voice, and Blur as a whole seems heavier, thanks in large part to an added ballast in the section rhythm.
Such subtle differences are part of aging. individual bodies change, as does collective chemistry. Blur definitely sounds older Live at Wembley Stadium than they did on their previous live albums, yet these scars add charm to these well-known songs. The erosion in Albarn's voice softens his obscenity, adding a sense of empathy to his cultural observations. This is especially true on “Tracy Jacks” and “End of a Century,” songs written by a twentysomething wondering about “getting past 40” and how “the mind gets dirty as you approach 30,” now delivered with a mournful air from a singer on the far side of 50. Instrumentally, Blur accomplish something similar. They can still play 'Song 2' with great credibility, yet they seem stronger, summoning cascades of psychedelic noise on 'Trimm Trabb', 'Oily Water' and 'This Is a Low' in earthy and elegant-looking versions.
It helps that, unlike many contemporary live records, Live at Wembley Stadium he really feels alive. Albarn digs through the lyrics on 'Beetlebum' and 'Country House' and is filled with emotion singing 'Under the Westway', an elegy to London. Graham Coxon's luscious guitar runs stormily over the vocals, while Alex James' bass cuts through Dave Rowntree's steady beats. The quartet seem excited by the buzz they're generating and are able to channel that energy into the ballads, providing an edgy counterpoint to the middle-aged gloom that underpins The Ballad of Darren. Where that studio affair offered a lengthy meditation on coming of age, the concert setting here prevents extended reflection. there is a multitude to be considered, after all. However, Blur bring the bittersweet beat to the fore, particularly on the final track which combines recent single 'The Narcissist' with 'The Universal', a song whose foreboding of a numb, drugged 21st century comes true. This shift in culture isn't directly acknowledged, but it's palpable, providing a wistful undercurrent to an album that's fun entertainment.
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