Blur fans will have to wait yet again for another new Blur album, as singer/keyboardist Damon Albarn is currently in the “out again” phase of his “in again/out again” relationship with the group. Albarn’s latest yarn has him telling fans that tracks couldn’t be completed because of the Fahrenheit scale, saying, “It was too hot outside.” This begs the question, “How much abuse can fans take?”

Raymond Flotat

Not since John Kerry has anyone received as much flak for flip-flopping on an issue as Damon Albarn is now receiving for his newest delay on the alleged upcoming Blur record, set to come out…whenever the hell it comes out. Ever since the fantastic return of the group in 2008, Damon Albarn has been all over the place with announcements of the group’s comeback, going so far as to contemplate the end of Blur to completely denying the end of Blur a month later. Even their “confirmed” Primavera Sound concert caused a few eyeballs to roll, forcing even the most diehard fans to transmogrify into a sea of Doubting Thomases. It seemed as though Blur was destined to become exactly that: a blur.

But then, when Albarn intially announced the possibility of new Blur music, a glimmer of hope began to emerge, and the buzz and enthusiasm for another Blur album swirled around in the ether. Now, suddenly, we’re faced with this latest quote from Albarn:

There are about 15 songs we recorded in Hong Kong. The annoying thing is, if I’d been able to write the lyrics there and then about being there, we’d have finished the record. But sometimes, if you can’t do it all at once, it dissipates really and I don’t know what I’d sing about now with that record. There’s some great tunes on there, but it may just be one of those records that never comes out. I’d do some more work on it. I like making records in short periods of time if I can. It was a different process with Everyday Robots because that was really thought out, but sometimes it’s great to get some amazing energy and do something in 10 days. There was too much commuting between where we were staying and where we were recording and it was a bit too hot. I think that’s why we didn’t get it finished.

It seems there are two elements that could work against Blur, if we’re taking Albarn’s quote at face value: time and temperature. Admittedly, though, Albarn is a musician who has a lot of projects under his belt and another killer group, The Gorillaz, in his repertoire to concern himself with. It could be some time before Blur cycles back into his mind again.