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THE REVIEW
After the promising debut album "Leisure" in 1991, two years later Blur returns with "Modern Life Is Rubbish", and it's a significant step back, only to rise again splendidly the following year with "Parklife". This is essentially neither a brit-pop nor an indie-rock album. None of the characteristics of the two genres were tackled and developed in a decent manner, thus making the album good at times but decidedly confusing and predictable at others.
"For Tomorrow", which opens the album, is one of the best tracks, concentrating all the characteristics of early '90s British rock, with a catchy "la-la-la-la-la..." chorus that engages the listener from the first listen.
"Advert" seems like a preview of "Song 2", a very distorted and intense rock but quite simple and trivial. "Colin Zeal" is classic brit-pop, and with its catchy melody and Coxon's extremely sharp and direct riff that gets into your head immediately, it remains one of the best moments of the album. "Star Shaped" seems like a faded copy of "Parklife", very, very predictable with a melody that almost sounds like a nursery rhyme, very clichéd.
In "Chemical World" we face another typically "British" track, with a vocal part that at times remarkably resembles "All The Young Dudes" by David Bowie. The approximately two-minute "Intermission" linked to "Chemical World" is quite curious, beginning with a piano part that seems made for a ballet, only to overflow into an increased rhythm with drums, bass, and guitar inserted in a very chaotic manner (it is very likely that this track was played in a moment of great improvisation during the recording sessions...).
Scrolling to the end of the 14 tracks, there are no particular inventions, the rhythm is almost always the same, with the exception of "Miss America", where the rhythm drops significantly being a ballad with a clear Albarn imprint.
If you have to spend euros on a Blur album, it certainly shouldn't be for this one, perhaps the worst album of the Colchester band. A characteristic of this album is that it lacks big chart-topping singles, commercial tracks to broadcast on TV (and this might be a good thing...).
It may mark the birth of brit-pop, but fortunately, from the following year, two great flagship albums of this genre will emerge ("Parklife" and "Definitely Maybe") which will overshadow the faded ideas present in this album.
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Summary by Bot
Blur's 'Modern Life Is Rubbish' follows their debut album with mixed results, showing moments of promise but lacking consistent execution. Some tracks recall early 90s British rock, but overall the album suffers from predictability and weak innovation. It lacks mainstream hits and is considered the band's weakest record before their breakthrough with 'Parklife.'Tracklist Lyrics Videos
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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 temi
"Tracks like 'For Tomorrow,' 'Chemical World,' and 'Sunday Sunday' are quirky, or at least they were at the time, and surprised most of the English audience."
"This album has left a mark, and today’s bands testify to it: the first albums of Kaiser Chiefs, for example, seem a bit copied from this one."
By Boop7
"Modern Life Is Rubbish" is the album of my heart.
"For Tomorrow" still deserves acclaim today! Just its beginning is an entire program, culturally, on the youth of the time.
