Video of the Day: 'Hallelujah Money (feat. Benjamin Clematine)' by Gorillaz

They're back - and it's about time! Damon Albarn loves a political comment, so what better time to release this scathing attack on capitalism than on the eve of the inauguration of President Donald fucking Trump. Featuring the beautiful vocals of Clemantine as well as some input from Albarn himself, it's a more mature sounding Gorillaz (for all the Spongebob Squarepants featuring video in the background). Let's hope for much more like this from him as 2017 rolls on.

Recommended music: 'Everyday Robots' by Damon Albarn

Could this be the year of the 'mature' album? So far this year Beck's given us the most sophisticated, grown-up and classy album of his career, while Ben Watt has ditched years of dance music, paired up with Bernard Butler, and made a record that any quality singer-songwriter from the 70s would've been proud of. Meanwhile on 'Everyday Robots' Damon Albarn comes up with some of the best songwriting of his life, matching beautiful melodies with confessional lyrics ranging from childhood to frank confessions of his heroin use during Blur's heyday. Essentially a middle-aged meditation on life, this is Damon bearing his soul on who he is and how he's got here.

Written and almost entirely performed by him alone (with mostly just some beat contributions from producer Richard Russell), it owes more to his work with Gorillaz and other projects such as Africa Express and the Bobby Womack album than it does to Blur. There's a lineage to be traced through his history though - having always told stories of other people in his lyrics, he's now turned that lens on himself with amazing honesty. And musically you can draw a line from the brilliant Gorillaz track 'Hong Kong' and the end-of-Blur tracks like 'Fool's Day' and 'Under The Westway', and even things like 'Sunset Coming On' from the Mali Music album.

He's at his most confessional on 'You and Me': "Jab jab / digging out a hole in Westbourne Grove / tin foil and a lighter / the ship across / five days on and two days off" - basically a heroin user's version of the fasting diet. I'm sure that, like me, many people never realised the extent of his drug use, but here it is laid out for all to see.

In the main the music is downbeat, but never sombre or maudlin. There are a couple of lighter moments though. The upbeat 'Mr. Tembo' (about an orphaned elephant) might sound a bit too smiley in isolation, but in the context of the album it serves both as a counterpoint to the more serious tracks and as a way of including his trips to Africa in the story. Meanwhile album closer 'Heavy Seas of Love', featuring surprise guest vocals from Brian Eno, is one of those classic 'Let It Be' type songs, one of those 'things aren't as bad as they seem, I'll help you pick yourself up, you're stronger than you realise' tracks that manages to touch your soul almost without you realising it. And yes, I did just compare Albarn's songwriting to McCartney's.



Despite his constant output I'm not sure Albarn's ever been properly recognised fo rthe quality of his writing, and I wnder if whether subconsciously this is him showing us how he intends to grow old gracefully, putting away the childish things of his youth and taking a gentle stroll into maturity.

Maybe it's because we're a similar age, or because I've always followed his work and enjoyed the way it's developed. Or maybe it's just because this is a damm fine record, but this album moves me in a way that few albums have recently. It's a record that makes you want to sit quietly and take stock of your own life, to be happy with where you are, to spend some time in your own company but then to go out and hug your friends.



Despite the fact that it failed to get to number one (due to Warner's cock-up with failing to press the right amount of vinyl), as the months go by I predict that more and more people will fall under its spell. It's also a dead cert for the Mercury Music Prize this year, so put your money on it now and thank me later.

Live review - in pictures: BBC 6 Music Festival, Victoria Warehouse, Manchester 28/2/14

The inaugural 6 Music festival had its first day yesterday - 2 live stages and a silent disco held in an old warehouse just a short hop on the tram from Media City. We arrived about 4.30 and dived straight in to catch the end of Weird Shapes in Room 2, one of the bands selected for the bill by BBC Introducing.

Weird Shapes onstage 28/2/14

There were bottlenecks moving between the 2 stages, but we squeezed our way through the gap and emerged into the much bigger Room 1 to see Luke Sital-Singh. He opened with an absolutely storming number, and while the rest of his set was good it didn't quite live up to the power of the start. For me he's definitely at his best when he's got an electric guitar in his hands.

Luke Sital-Singh live 28/2/14

Next up it was back to Room 2 for the brilliant Drenge. I don't know how they manage to make so much noise with just the 2 of them playing, but they were awesome. 'Bloodsports' incited a full-on mosh pit and people bounced off each other while the sound bounced off the concrete walls. They're sure to be a festival fixture throughout the summer, so make sure you catch them.

Drenge, 6 Music Festival 28/2/14

Back to the main room for Kelis. She put on. Good show but the sound mix was poor and it was all a bit 'Vegas revue' style for us, so after hearing the classic 'Milkshake' we headed outside for some food.

Midlake never disappoint, and tonight they were on fine form. They always sound to me like a band who properly practice together - their sound is much more powerful live  and they just feel like a 'proper' band. They played a good mix of old and new stuff - of the new ones 'The Old and The Young' has now developed into a proper live 'moment' and sounds built for festivals.

Midlake at the Victoria Warehouse 28/2/14

Towards the end of their set they were joined by collaborator John Grant, who flew in from Iceland just to perform one song, the brilliant 'Sigourney Weaver'.

John Grant with Midlake at the 6 Music Festival 28/2/14

Not many people would have the nerve to play their first gig with a new band headlining a festival that was being broadcast live, while also showcasing a brand new album that people haven't heard, but Damon Albarn has got the balls to pull it off.

Damon Albarn solo (but with his new band) 28/2/14

Despite a few ignorant people in the audience who weren't prepared to give the new stuff a try, he played a great set. The new songs have got a great feel to them (I confidently predict a Mercury Prize nomination) and he threw in a few curve balls from his back catalogue as well. The band he's put together to play live are really good and I for one think it's great that he continues to evolve and mature as an artist. He might lose a few beery 'Parklife' fans as a result but I'm definitely sticking with him. Here's the setlist:

• Everyday Robots
• Hostiles
• Lonely Press Play
• Tomorrow Comes Today
• The Selfish Giant
• You & Me
• On Melancholy Hill
• Hollow Ponds
• Photographs (You Are Taking Now)
• Kingdom of Doom
• All Your Life
• Mr Tembo
• El Mañana
• Heavy Seas Of Love

Damon at the keyboard 28/2/14

Video of the Day: 'Everyday Robots' by Damon Albarn

After only announcing last night that his solo album would be released in April, Damon Albarn has had a busy day, being confirmed as the Saturday headliner for Latitude and releasing this video for the album's title track 'Everyday Robots'. The video uses CGI and scans of Albarn's head to build a sculptural image of his face. The song meanwhile continues the melancholy feel that the recent Blur tracks 'Fool's Day' and 'Under The Westway' have had, ending with a beautiful string arrangement, while the lyrics describe how technology is turning us all into drones.