The Good, the Bad, and the Queen

Kingdom of Doom

Parlophone UK/Virgin US

By Nicholas Olds

Only two years after their Grammy-nominated effort with the Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and DJ Dangermouse team up again to lead this all-star cast of ex-Clash bassist Paul Simonon, ex-Verve guitarist Simon Tong, and afro-beat legend Tony Allen in forming The Good, The Bad, and The Queen. Music to reminisce to, GBQ absorbs you with soaring guitars, subtle percussions, booming dub bass, vaudeville pianos, and simple/ hypnotic synthesizers, heard most convincingly in the moody Three Changes and apocalyptic Herculean.

Despite being more depressing than his previous solo work, Albarn hits all the right notes, infusing infectious pop hooks in this narcotically slow collection of songs about London’s better days. Kingdom of Doom sums it up with, “Drink all day cause the country's at war/ You'll be falling on the palace floor.”

By combining a cynical view with glimpses of hope, the result is an impressionistic pop masterpiece that's disturbingly enticing in its melancholy. An irresistible listen that’s as fitting to play at parties as it is after a breakup.

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