Lyrically, at least, Blur is part parody, part bizarre reprise of countless albums written in bleak hotel rooms on long US tours. "Look inside America/She's all right" Damon Albarn concedes amidst a run-down of a lengthy Blur itinerary.
Musically, though, America seems more than just "all right." It's all here: wonky Nirvana chords, Pavement non-sequiturs, screaming Pixies guitars. It's austere and downbeat stuff: ambivalent vocals stung by spiked guitars, a curious mix of energy and lethargy. As well as overt Americanisms, there are various hints of Brix-era Fall.
Yet despite the studiously "unlearnt" guitars, even the simplest, scratchiest tracks are beautifully constructed. "Beetlebum's" Nirvana drone ends with an elegant guitar coda. "You're So Great" - Graham Coxon's ode to mild stimulants - neatly combines fake vinyl crackles, faux-naive singing, a frazzled guitar solo and some demented strumming. "Essex Dogs" is a haunting, fragmented rewrite of "Parklife."
A few tracks sink beneath their sources, but it's the band's immaculate, unflagging pop sensibilities that make this a genuine Blur album, and a fine one at that. So 'Beetlebum' erupts into curlicued harmonies; the sarkily-titled "M.O.R." is an early Pixies thrash with a proper tune and chorus instead of mad Spanish ranting. Then there's the ubiquitous "Song 2," Damon's Essex-boy whine giving way to great blasts of guitar and the inimitable "Whoo-hoo!'s." It's still an exhilarating two minutes, every bit as good as, say, "Girls & Boys," and a deservedly massive hit. "Fall into fashion, fall out again," Damon sings half-hopefully on "M.O.R." No such luck...
If you like Blur, check out:
Blur Modern Life Is Rubbish
Blur Parklife
Blur The Great Escape
Blur 13
Blur Leisure
Graham Coxon The Sky Is Too High
The Fall This Nation's Saving Grace
Pavement Slanted and Enchanted
Nirvana Nevermind
The Pixies Surfer Rosa
The Smiths Strangeways Here We Come
-- Emily Marsden
