Last month, Blur announced their first new album in eight years, The Ballad Of Darren, and introduced it with lead single “The Narcissist.” Not long after, they played some warm-up shows where they did live rarities and debuted a couple of new songs. One of those songs was “St. Charles Square,” which they’re releasing as the album’s official second single today.
In an interview with Zane Lowe for Apple Music 1, Damon Albarn talked a bit about the song: “I was just really relieved it went this way in the studio. I mean, in my demo it sort of alluded to it because of the chords that hold in the chorus — it’s got that chug to it — but Graham [Coxon] really went with it … It’s got an amazing atmosphere. Everybody’s playing really well on that thing.”
“Do you know what the whole thing has really felt like?” Albarn continued. “We’re sort of somewhere in 1992, something like that, ’92, ’93. We’re just sort of back. I don’t know. And when we go on stage, that’s we’re where we start off … I’ve always kind of felt like it’s not just about singing about yourself. You’ve got to kind of bring where you’re singing it and writing it with you.”
Check out “St. Charles Square” below.
The Ballad Of Darren is out 7/21 via Parlophone.
