The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, the sophomore solo album from Gorillaz and Blur frontman Damon Albarn, is out today via Transgressive. Originally conceptualized as an orchestral piece, Albarn revisited the material during the pandemic, fleshing it out into a full-blown project.
At 11 tracks, The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows explores themes of fragility, loss, emergence, and rebirth. “I have been on my own dark journey while making this record and it led me to believe that a pure source might still exist,” Albarn said in a press release.
Unlike the straightforward Britpop he makes with Blur or the trip-hop-meets-rock groove of Gorillaz, The Nearer the Fountain sees Albarn adopt more orchestral and classical elements. But since this is still a Damon Albarn album, even those more traditional influences morph into a left-field, experimental aesthetic. The Nearer the Fountain includes the singles “Particles,” “Royal Mountain Blue,” and the title track, and you can purchase physical copies here. Stream it on Apple Music or Spotify below.
Albarn’s last solo album was 2014’s Everyday Robots. He’ll be promoting the new album when he goes on tour in Europe next year; you can get tickets at Ticketmaster. He also recently discussed the making of his new album on an episode of Consequence‘s Kyle Meredith With…
The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows Artwork:
The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows Tracklist:
01. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows
02. The Cormorant
03. Royal Morning Blue
04. Combustion
05. Daft Wader
06. Darkness to Light
07. Esja
08. The Tower of Montevideo
09. Giraffe Trumpet Sea
10. Polaris
11. Particles
