Blur

It's been 16 years since their last album as a four-piece and April 28th sees the release of a brand new album from Blur via Warner Bros., titled The Magic Whip. 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, Blur guitarist, Graham Coxon revisited the tracks and, drafting in Blur's early producer Stephen Street, he worked with the band on the material. The lead singer, Damon Albarn then added lyrics and the 12 tracks of The Magic Whip are the result. "Go Out" is the first track the group has released from the album.

Speaking about the decision to return to the studio, Albarn explained: "I really felt at the end of the last gigs that that was it. There was no way we could do another gig without an another album."

Formed in London in 1988, the group consists of singer/keyboardist Damon Albarn, guitarist/singer Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur's debut album Leisure (1991) incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegazing. Following a stylistic change influenced by English guitar pop groups such as the Kinks, the Beatles and XTC, Blur released Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995). In recording their follow-up, Blur (1997), the band underwent another reinvention, showing influence from the lo-fi style of American indie rock groups. Their next album, 13 (1999) saw the band members experimenting with electronic and gospel music, and featured more personal lyrics from Albarn. In 2003, they released Think Tank and that collection contained electronic sounds and more minimal guitar work.

As the only artists to play Hyde Park four times, Blur will return to the historic London park for a headline show on June 20th as part of Barclaycard presents British Summer Time Hyde Park.

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