Released: 12 November 2021

Damon Albarn conjures musical magic on his latest solo offering ‘The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows’.

The album – the Blur and Gorillaz frontman’s second solo outing – is inspired by his adoptive home of Iceland and features a combination of slow burners and (relatively) upbeat, jazzy numbers.

The result is an interesting musical exploration of the world and Albarn’s relationship with his surroundings, explored through the lens of a global pandemic. 

Conceptually, the record has had many lives; it began as a commission from a French arts festival and underwent an extended development period, before emerging as the fully-formed follow-up to his 2014 solo album, ‘Everyday Robots’.

Title track The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows – inspired by the John Clare poem ‘Love and Memory’ – is one of the more conceptual pieces, but it’s not long before things pick up pace. 

Electronic drum sequencing runs through The Cormorant, while single Royal Morning Blue is as close to radio friendly pop as the album gets. 

Saxophones add another musical layer to The Tower of Montevideo and closer Particles is particularly cinematic. 

Lyrically, Albarn draws from nostalgia to conjure images in his compositions, from children playing on the beach, parties gone by and even late collaborator Tony Allen, whose presence is felt throughout. 

But the melancholy isn’t overbearing; rather, it’s a knowing nod towards the past 18 months that adds a very real, raw edge to the LP. 

This is by no means light-hearted pop music – nor does it pretend to be – but ‘The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows’ is an undeniably beautiful album that transcends trends and instantly feels timeless. 

‘The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows’ is available on CD and vinyl.