Looks like we’re back on the ‘will Blur release a new album’ train again after recent hints that they will be releasing a new track called The Puritan early next month. In a recent performance from frontman Damon Albarn, we saw him introduce a new track that was mooted as a new Blur song. Now it looks like this track could be released as a single on 2nd July (UK).
Albarn informed fans, via their Twitter, that they should “be here Monday 2nd July, 7:15 BST”, pointing to the Blur website, which now has a countdown timer to the event and is attaching a hashtag #ThePuritan. Blur’s Facebook page also reveals a little bit more with an Instagram picture, showing the words “The flash of a blade is one less getting paid”.
Some confusion arises after we’ve had months (maybe years) of ‘will they/won’t they’ events and interviews over whether we’ll truly see them get together again for a new studio album. The most recent ended with producer William Orbit claiming that Albarn had put the recordings on hold saying: “The new stuff sounded amazing. Then it all stopped suddenly. It was all over with Damon, and the rest of the band were like, ‘is this it?’”.
Previously Albarn crushed the hopes of all Blur fans out there when he said a few months ago in an interview with the Gaurdian on whether the band would play again after the Olympics closing concert: “No, not really…And I hope that’s the truth: that that’s how we end it”, before coming out a few days later saying he was misinterpreted.
