This may just be the first time in my five years writing for this site that I'm giving a semi-positive review to an album that isn't great or even good, but it is very interesting and quite intriguing nonetheless. Hell, without even listening to this album it's intriguing. This has to be one of the greatest super groups ever assembled. Damon Albarn from Blur/Gorillaz on vocals and keyboards, Simon Tong from The Verve on guitar, Paul Simonon from The Clash on bass and Tony Allen from Fela Kuti's Africa 70 group on drums along with Danger Mouse producing it all? Damn, I don't even need to listen to this album do I? Lets just anoint it with best album of the year accolades already shall we?

Sigh. I've listened to this album at least ten times now and I still keep waiting for something, anything exciting to happen. Yeah, I get it. This is a concept album about the follies of war and the downtrodden times in grey ol' England, sure. But c'mon guys! Get mad! Get angry and ferocious for a period here! The hung over feeling throughout just gets tedious and the whole album starts to sound monotonous after awhile. The two people I have to blame the most here are Albarn and Danger Mouse. Damon, c'mon dude, you've assembled this monstrous line-up and you essentially make the equivalent of an introverted solo album? Man, you could have done that with any studio session musicians, don't waste Simonon and Allen's time.

Same goes for Danger Mouse's production. This is definitely the most disappointed I've ever been with him behind the boards, be it Hip-Hop, Rock or what have you. The mix just sounds so washed and I'm sure that might have been the intention to strike the mood, but when you have legends like these in the background, why wouldn't you want their talents to shine on the forefront? The whole album in general just feels like a lost opportunity. Does it sound good overall? Yes. Is Simonon's underlying dub-bass work intriguing enough throughout to warrant further listening? Yes. Is Albarn in top vocal form? Certainly. But does the sum of all the parts here end up equaling out in the end? Not even close and it pains me to say that without even flinching.