THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE QUEEN
The Good, The Bad & The Queen
Virgin

It’s not uncommon for musicians once made popular for a specific sound, to decide to reinvent and broaden their sonic horizons. Generally, this only illustrates how limited the performer is—but there are instances where the expansion takes, exposing a new vision. Let’s call it ‘Paul Simonization.’ Damon Albarn has already proven himself adequately Simonized with the rise of Gorillaz, the dark junglepop group he conceptualized on a break from his day job, Blur. But with his latest project, The Good, The Bad & The Queen—also featuring his new righthand man, Simon Tong (nee The Verve), Africa 70’s Tony Allen, The Clash’s Paul Simonon and producer Danger Mouse—Albarn aims for a fresh fusion. More akin to the sound of Blur’s Think Tank than Demon Dayz, TGTBATQ’s mellow reggae-style basslines pair with plinky piano melodies that often seem to take a page out of the Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons songbook. Mixed along with Albarn’s signature talkcrooning and otherworldly atmospherics, the album ends up a series of 12 ambient, often jaunty, jams. These aren’t Gorillaz-style hit singles, but they weren’t crafted to be. TGTBATQ attempts something new— and ends up as, simply, an impressive debut from unlikely comrades.