Damon Albarn // Dr Dee

Damon Albarn has temporarily turned his back on all things Gorillaz and gone back 400 years to the time of John Dee, a 17th-century polymath, astrologer and advisor to Queen Elizabeth. Damon’s created a whole opera based on his life, which is being shown at the English National Opera in June as part of the Cultural Olympiad. And what we have here is a kind of soundtrack to this opera. It’s certainly not your usual Blur fare, although at certain points Damon’s vocals ring so sweetly and with such purity and heartbreak as can be heard in some of his much earlier ballads, for example in Applecarts, possibly one of my favourite songs ever already, the most lovely, birdsongy, gentle and folky piece you will ever hear. At times this 18 track album is challenging, with discordant organ sounds laid over choral music, or a couple of stunning falsetto solo pieces. There are so many different and interesting sounding instruments used... Elizabethan English instruments (viola de gamba, shawm, dulcian, crumhorn, recorder, lute) mixed with the African kora and the distinctive drumming of Nigerian percussionist Tony Allen. It’s hard to picture what’s happening on stage from the music, and the lyrics don’t exactly give you all the answers although they are, like John Dee, mystical, folky and very British; but it’s not meant to be easy. It’s an album for Albarn fans, and for people who want to hear an artist who has grown from a Britpop singer to a composer and a Proper Musician. We should be so proud of him. And bagsy a ticket to the opera.

8/10 Lizz Page