Blur Announce First New Album In 12 Years

Seminal Britpop band Blur have announced the release of a new record, The Magic Whip, coming out April 28 on Warner Bros. Records. The new LP marks the first album featuring all four founding members since 1999’s 13 and the first set of new material since 2003’s Think Tank, which did not include founding member Graham Coxon. All four founding members including Coxon, Damon Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree contributed to The Magic Whip, recording of which began in 2013.


Here’s how Blur explained the recording process:

The recordings, which began during a five-day break in touring in Spring 2013 – at Avon Studios in Kowloon, Hong Kong – were put aside when the group finished touring and returned to their respective lives.

Last November, Graham Coxon revisited the tracks and, drafting in blur’s early producer Stephen Street, he worked with the band on the material. Albarn then added lyrics and the 12 tracks of The Magic Whip are the result.

It was also announced that Blur will hold its unprecedented fifth headlining concert at London’s famed Hyde Park as part of this summer’s Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park series. Tickets for the concert go on sale Friday, February 27 at 9 a.m. GMT starting at £75. 

The Magic Whip tracklist:

01 Lonesome Street
02 New World Towers
03 Go Out
04 Ice Cream Man
05 Thought I Was a Spaceman
06 I Broadcast
07 My Terracotta Heart
08 There are Too Many of Us
09 Ghost Ship
10 Pyongyang
11 Ong Ong
12 Mirror Ball