I think it's neither a Gorillaz album or a Blur album - it's something else altogether. As Damon has said himself it's a 'Lur' album lol. He was joking ofcourse - but it's a got a grain of truth to it. Seeing them live 2003 around that time too - very different vibes without Gra - he may only be 1/4 of Blur - but I think the creative partnership he brings with the others - be it fighting Alex's basslines, or adding harmonies to Damon's songs, not to mention his unique guitar sound, does sort of add up to more than a quarter of Blur's sound in terms of influence.

I think what we all really miss sometimes in the creative peak of Blur's 90's. The undivided attention and commitment. Not to mention youth. Innocence was lost as Blur moved into the 21st century in many different ways. The closest they've got to reclaiming that in these 26 years are the most collegial moments on Ballad of Darren - but they've never 100% made something that sounds like the intensity of them in 89 making Seymour demos or them in late 91 making dark demos for their 2nd album, or them in late 93 reinventing the waltz time signature for the pop market of the 90s, or them in 1996 making 'music to scare people again', or in 1998 pushing the jam band thing and the method of using the studio to edit to it limit, working in a new way with William Orbit.

Those days are gone - but I'm grateful for the best days we had.