The mostly-dormant Blur have made the fairly surprising announcement that they’re releasing The Magic Whip, their first new record since 2003’s Think Tank. It’s also the first record since the band reunited with guitarist Graham Coxon, who split shortly after recording for Think Tank began. The album was recorded mostly last year in Hong Kong (which helps explain the cover art, which says “Blur” and “Magic Whip” in traditional Chinese), and produced by their longtime producer Stephen Street.
Blur have been on-again off again for the last few years since Coxon’s return, with frontman Damon Albarn concentrating on his multitude of other projects, including Gorillaz. The announcement of The Magic Whip is particularly surprising since Albarn’s most recent statements indicated he was preparing material for a new Gorillaz release, leaving Blur on the backburner.
The Magic Whip comes out April 27th, and the band will play a show in England’s Hyde Park for the British Summer Time Festival. No tour dates as of yet, but a video for the first single, “Go Out,” is available for listening now. Check it out below, along with tracklisting for The Magic Whip.
Blur – 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
Three Match Breeze 