Record Label: Virgin
Genre: Dub-esque Brit Rock
Band Link: link
Buy on Amazon.com link

I was really excited for this one. Hailed as one of the first big releases of 2007, it had all the makings of a kickass album. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really kick ass. Not that it’s bad, but I mean, there’s just something missing.

Most of the time, albums from ‘supergroups’ are usually last-ditch efforts to make some extra cash by exploiting fans of all the respective bands the artists come from. And TGTBATQ have an impressive array of musicians: Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), Paul Simonon (The Clash), Tony Allen (Fela Kuti), Simon Tong (The Verve), and production by Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Danger Doom). So based on that, they’re going to have a large amount of fans or curious listeners. And in a way the album doesn’t disappoint. You can hear each member’s contribution, from Simonon’s steady and heavy basslines to Albarn’s lethargic drawl. Even Danger Mouse’s production is crisp and mesmerizing. The problem is that once you take away all the parts, there’s nothing much left.

The songs themselves are interesting in the sense that they’re very dubby and atmospheric, but they really don’t ever go anywhere. After a few repeated listens, I don’t think I could hum a single melody. I can remember the tinny guitar sound or the crazy drumming, but nothing of the songs’ content. They seem like singular ideas with various instrumentation and the usual Albarn lyrics. So basically nothing special.

I respect the fact that you can tell a lot of time was spent on this album. It seems like it is perfect fodder for Guy Ritchie movies for the next ten years – haunting but still rockin’ enough to carry a sweeping shot of some empty British town. I also love the fact that Simonon is back playing music; he had retired from the industry in the early 1990s when his post-Clash band Havana 3am broke up. But even his steady bass-playing is not reason enough for me to give this too many repeated listens.

I’d be curious to see if this group stays together long enough to put out another album. Maybe with a bit more time on songcraft, they could really put out something that lasts.

Bottom Line: Great production, and interesting mix of musicians, but the songs really don’t do anything for me.
Notable Tracks: History Song, Herculean, The Good The Bad & The Queen
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