When news broke that Blur would be ending a 12-year hiatus with a new album, their dedicated fan base was whipped into a frenzy. Those less familiar with the band may need a gentle reminder that this is a group fronted by living legend Damon Albarn, a band that played an integral role in England’s pre-millenium alt-rock movement.
Magic Whip is the album, and “There Are Too Many of Us” is the second single they’ve shared (“Go Out” was the first). It’s a dramatic march punctuated by Albarn’s drawling vocals and a beautiful string part that loops throughout the song as the instruments build around it. Seeing as the band recorded Magic Whip in the “intense” atmosphere of Hong Kong, this could be a literal warning against overpopulation or becoming everyday robots: “there are too many of us,” Albarn sings, “and we all believe in praying for our own immortality.” Stream above and check the tracklist below.
01. Lonesome Street
02. New World Towers
03. Go Out
04. Ice Cream Man
05. Thought I Was A Spaceman
06. I Broadcast
07. My Terracotta Heart
08. There Are Too Many Of Us
09. Ghost Ship
10. Pyongyang
11. Ong Ong
12. Mirrorball
