Damon Albarn – “Lonely Press Play” Video
We’ve heard two stripped-down acoustic versions of Damon Albarn’s achingly gorgeous “Lonely Press Play, and today he’s dropped not only the studio version of the track, but its video. Instrumentally, it’s nothing like the version he did only with an acoustic guitar on BBC Radio, or the performance he delivered at Sundance with a small string section; instead, it’s a whirring, bleep-bloopy pillow fort of electronic sounds. Of course, the melody, vocal, and lyrics are more or less identical, and its from that base that the song derives its graceful, melancholy beauty. The video is compiled from scenes captured by Damon on his tablet, and were filmed in Tokyo, London, Dallas, Utah, Colchester (UK), North Korea, Iceland and Devon (UK). Watch/listen.
In other Damon news, at yesterday’s NME Awards, Albarn revealed that Blur have recorded 15 new songs — but they’ll stay in the vault till further notice, because, says Damon, “I can’t foresee us in the near future being in a position to finish [an album]. We’re just all doing other stuff.” To be clear, he’s been promoting his solo album — due out April 29, 2014 — since December 11, 2013. “Other stuff.” Bah!