The Good, The Bad & The Queen.

On their album Merrie Land, the members of British supergroup The Good, The Bad & The Queen ask the rhetorical questions, "How is it possible that we are where we are right now, what kind of country are we? Are we green, are we nice?" The answers are absent. It's emblematic of the content of the record, which was four years in the making and is only the second in the group's history. The first effort dates back to 2007. It was then a conceptual work of the same name, which gave the band an unconventional title. The long hiatus between the two releases is due to the extreme workload of the band members, as well as the circumstances driving the British (more so English) music and intellectual scene. In addition, they all have a number of other musical commitments. Damon Albarn, along with producer Toni Visconti (formerly Bowie), are among the main contributors to this year's project. After two years in the making, in 2016, they announced that progress on the record was being significantly affected by the ongoing Brexit vote, and that the originally planned release date would not be met. It took another two years to Damon Albarn (vocals - Blur, Gorillaz), Paul Simonon (base - Clash), Simon Tong (guitar - The Verve, Blur) and Tony Allen (drums) have reached the end of their recording frequencies and a quality piece of music with a distinctive atmosphere with a sound reminiscent of circus, cabaret or shantan has seen the light of day. The lyrics, which work more with imagery, hints and symbols than coherent stories, perfectly complement the musical component, which contains autophonic elements. The opening Merrie Land is, after a brief introduction, a gateway to a world in which there are more questions than answers. The arrangements, which have a pitchy orchestrion singing throughout, create the impression of a theatrical soundtrack to a politically engaged alternative performance. Gun to the Head, with Alborne's piano, dissonant recorder interplay and a sweeping chorus, is one of two tracks released for online listening. Excellent are the waltz Nineteen Seventeen and the male chorus-spiced Lady Boston. Fifth in the order, Great Fire really evokes the atmosphere of a fire with sound effects that recall sirens and crowds in the streets. The impression of confusion is compounded by stumbling drums, a male choir and Alborne's plaintive vocals. The album's highlight is the sad and melancholic Ribbons, with its pleasantly screeching spiel and expertly arranged organ. There are logical elements throughout the album that come from the work of both Blur and Gorillaz, yet it has a distinctive character and charm of its own. Damon Albarn has released his third full-length album in eighteen months. However, the quality of Merrie Land is not detracted from by this overproduction.

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