Musicians Come Together With 'Queen'

In the mid 1990s there came an English rock quartet out of Colchester that swept the UK in the midst of its Brit-pop movement. Led by front man Damon Albarn, the group Blur found great success until late in the decade. Shortly after, Albarn went on to create the worldwide sensation and bestselling British cartoon rock group, the Gorillaz, who hold the Guinness world record for best selling album by a virtual band. Now he comes forth with his newest project - The Good, the Bad and the Queen.

After making a few phone calls and enlisting the help of hit producer and Gorillaz satellite member, Danger Mouse, the final roster is an odd mix. Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Africa 70 drummer Tony Allen and former The Verve guitarist Simon Tong (who also played the guitar during Blur's "Think Tank" tour following lead guitarist Graham Coxon's departure, and for the Gorillaz on their Demon Days album) compose the group.

If you're a fan of the Gorillaz, then you will most certainly love The Good, the Bad and the Queen. The first thing listeners will notice is the similarity between the sound of The Good, the Bad and the Queen and that of Albarn's former group, especially on the tracks "Herculean," "80s Life" and "The Good, the Bad and the Queen." Since much of the music on the two Gorillaz albums was produced by Danger Mouse, you get the feeling the band is just an extension of their work, which isn't necessarily mean a bad thing.

Over the course of 12 tracks, "The Good, the Bad and the Queen" is a tantalizing journey through rhythm and sound that takes you through the roads of London and to far off places with grand names like the "Kingdom of Doom" and "Green Fields." With the assembled 1980s dream team that makes up the group, the album delivers a series of tracks with cinematic strings and megaphone-vocal melancholy that has it's own strange beauty about it.

"The Good, the Bad and the Queen" plays out much like a follow-up to the Blur's 1994 album, "Parklife," a look on contemporary England. But unlike the rousing punk rock that made "Parklife" so great, this album sets a more moody tone and slows it down to get the job done. The eclectic mix of sounds and styles combine to create a dark yet muted balladry, much like the Beatles' "White Album," except with Albarn's special touch.

Damon Albarn's ability to paint wondrous images with his words is rivaled by few in music today. "Friday night in the Kingdom of Doom / Ravens fly across the moon / All here now there's a noise in the sky / Following all the rules and not asking why," he sings on "Kingdom of Doom."

"Over Lord Hill's bridge we must go / When the hearts burn at night and the guns unload," Albarn croons on "Nature Springs," a somber trip to find a more comforting spot to rest than the heavy London around them.