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Rating: THE REVIEW
The days when Albarn & Co. leaped and "strummed" to the cheerful notes of Parklife are long gone...
Britpop and its sound are distant, and we can see nothing clear in this unusual work by the English band, as its complexity is useless, unproductive, and insignificant, at times even boring.
13 is an album without ideas from which we can appreciate, however, the restless and vital nature of the ugliness that animates it, which is certainly not a symptom of Albarn's premature senility: the ugliness of 13 is necessary, transitional.
We certainly don’t find anything listenable among the choruses of Tender or Coffee&TV, but among the mournful "steps" of No Distance Left to Run, Bugman, and perhaps Caramel… frankly, I don't remember any other song worth mentioning in these lines, but a few words must be said about William Orbit (producer) who definitely contributed greatly to fueling the Essex boys' desire to experiment.
All honor to Blur, however: they were able to break down, reset, and start over. In this perspective, the ugliness of 13 might be the most honest and intense form of art of the last few years(?!?).
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Summary by Bot
Blur's album 13 moves away from their cheerful Britpop roots into a more complex and experimental sound. The album is uneven, with moments of boredom and few standout tracks. Produced by William Orbit, the work showcases the band's willingness to reset and experiment. Despite its flaws, 13's rawness and 'ugliness' represent an honest artistic phase.
Blur
English rock band formed in Colchester; core members include Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree. Rose to prominence during the Britpop era and later explored experimental and electronic sounds. Active from 1989 to present.49 Reviews
Other reviews
By easycure
13 is the definitive album of a band that has moved from brit-pop to a much more open vision of rock.
It is precisely this sense of incompleteness that likely turned many critics off regarding an album that... is not only the most enchanting in Blur’s career but also a very important example of how one can strive to be 'other' than the usual rock norms.
By ste84
"13 is a journey on a round and distorted universe, a puzzle completed but with pieces placed randomly."
"It is bouncing on a soft wall, it is a powerful whisper in your ears..."
By GrantNicholas
Blur wanted to prove at all costs that they weren’t just a band for three-minute britpop hits.
The insistence on extremely heavy experimentation produces a disorienting and, above all, tiring effect.
By temi
'13' is yet another masterpiece by Blur... But you have to listen to it many times to fully enjoy it… At times it’s frightening.
Coxon described it as 'a mind-blowing trip in devil’s time'…
