#13 on the 2021 Bacon Top 31 — Damon Albarn
The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows by Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn’s newest record, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, was created in isolation in his home outside of Reykjavik, Iceland during the pandemic. That point is important, because it gives this slower, introspective album the perfect sense of place.
After starting in on a commissioned project with some native Icelandic musicians, Albarn had to shift course due to the pandemic – they could no longer get together and jam. According to Pitchfork, What was going to be an “orchestral interpretation of the land outside his living room window” became the foundation for a new solo album that he eventually brought to life with two musicians he had a long history with: Simon Tong (guitarist for the Verve and for Albarn’s side project The Good, The Bad, & the Queen) and frequent Gorillaz collaborator Mike Smith.
A view of Esja in Reykjavík, Iceland. The landscape inspiring 'The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows': https://t.co/2L231hVJiu pic.twitter.com/NljvMSA084
— Damon Albarn (@Damonalbarn) November 29, 2021
The collection of songs that emerged from that curvy road of creation is not a Blur or Gorillaz album. It’s not full-on pop, nor digital craziness. But Albarn’s voice is unique, with or without collaboration, and his music always invariably sounds like him. If you’ve ever thought “I want a Blur album without the heavy guitars” or “This Gorillaz stuff would sound great if it didn’t have all that digital distortion,” then Fountain is for you.
The video above, for the song “Royal Morning Blue” is the only video from the album that features Albarn. But there are a series of video clips set to the music that you can watch while listening. If you like consuming your music with visuals, as I do (full on MTV generation here), these vignettes are perfect for the music.
It feels as though Damon Albarn has been somewhere in my shortlist of “current rotation” albums for most of my life. I wrote about his prolific output in my review of the second album from his side project The Good, The Bad, & the Queen’s second album (2018’s Merrie Land, #23 that year). I’ve updated what I wrote then to include what has come out since:
Blur released their first album, Leisure, in 1991. Including that seminal album, Albarn has been a principle part of the production for eight Blur albums (2015’s The Magic Whip was #21 that year), [seven] Gorrilaz albums (2020’s Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez was #13 that year), six various collaboration albums, two albums with the collective known as The Good, the Bad & the Queen, and [now two] solo albums.
That’s a mind-blowing 25 albums in 30 years. A spry 53 years old, Albarn doesn’t show any sign of slowing down his output. Where he will head next is anybody’s guess, but take my hand and we’ll skip along with him, together.
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14. Collapsed in Sunbeams by Arlo Parks
15. Loving In Stereo by Jungle
16. Flying Dream 1 by Elbow
17. Screen Violence by Chvrches
18. Blue Weekend by Wolf Alice
19. Mainly Gestalt Pornography by Pearly Gate Music
20. Peace Or Love by Kings of Convenience
21. These 13 by Jimbo Mathus & Andrew Bird
22. Mr. Corman: Season 1 by Nathan Johnson
23. Home Video by Lucy Dacus
24. I’ll Be Your Mirror: A Tribute to The Velvet Underground & Nico by Various Artists
25. Siamese Dream by Fruit Bats
26. NINE by Sault
27. Observatory by Aeon Station
28. The Monster Who Hated Pennsylvania by Damien Jurado
29. A Beginner’s Mind by Sufjan Stevens and Angelo De Augustine
30. Where the End Begins by Knathan Ryan
31. Private Space by Durand Jones & The Indications
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Full Album
All albums in their entirety.
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A single song selection pulled from each album.