Blur-ring The Boundaries

Blur prove yet again why they're considered one of Britain's best alternative acts.

With every album release, Blur has managed to stand apart as one of Britain's best alternative rock acts, and they deliver another brilliant effort with the new "Think Tank". Although the album marks the departure of Graham Coxon, it still contains the essential Blur element of success. This time around, Blur have utilized a much more melodic approach to song writing.

Opening with "Ambulance", the album begins with a very catchy drum loop to flow into melodic guitar chords strummed with one of the warmest tones I have ever heard. The next song, "Out of Time", is a fusion of electric guitar sounds, with Middle Eastern percussion. "Crazy Beat" offers a very fun guitar riff, hard-edged vocals, a catchy vocal chant, and over-driven guitars.

The album strikes the perfect balance musically, with melodic softer moments and hard-hitting guitar rhythms. Worth a buy for all alternative fans, offering decent lyrics (although sometimes cheesy) and musically appealing.

This article was first published on18 Jan 2004.