Single Review: Damon Albarn – ‘Everyday Robots’
2 min read
This man doesn’t know when to stop does he? Not content with forming new bands such as Gorillaz, and The Good, The Bad and The Queen, then reforming classic indie pop four-piece Blur while also writing music for the Olympics and films, Damon has at last decided to get rid of everyone else and try his hand at a solo album.
The first song we get our mitts on from this new record is album-titled track, Everyday Robots, with Damon embodying the music in a solitary tone to go with his new solitary status. You can hear influences from all his other projects in this track. Hip-hop style drums, sombre vocals, gentle piano, all covered over by a gorgeous violin riff, it’s very Damon and very good. For fans of the man himself who have followed his career, they will identify with the music straight away; for others it may take a few listens, but once it’s locked in your mind there is no escaping. It’s one of those clever songs that doesn’t seem to go anywhere but is repetitively addictive.
With his new album being touted as his most personal yet, it’s easy to see why when listening to Everyday Robots. The lyrics are lonesome and distant, introvert and bleak: “Looking like standing stones, out there on our own” sings Damon, drawing from some of the more chilled out later songs of his Blur days. The lyrics mix well with the style of the music, and the overall feel is soothing and calm.
It’s a good start to kick off his solo career, and the fact he hasn’t released some up-beat radio-friendly track shows that Damon is truly comfortable with himself. This may be the reason why he’s waited so long to release his own record, and if this single is anything to go by, we have a real treat to come.
