Blur and Gorillaz lead vocalist Damon Albarn recently released “The Tower of Montevideo,” a sultry song reminiscing over a trip to a distant paradise. According to Stereogum, the track was inspired by a century-old edifice in the Uruguayan capital.
In addition to the stereo version of the song, Albarn also released a live video performance. The black-and-white video is both simple and intimate, featuring Albarn hunched over his keyboard, a string quartet and smooth saxophone bringing the jazz-inspired track together under the lights of a disco ball.
The song is part of the artist’s new solo album, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows, which is set to come out on Nov. 12 on Transgressive Records. The other tracks on the album, however, are based on the Icelandic landscape, such as the soothing “Royal Morning Blue” and the calming ballad “Particles,” both released in September. As stated by mxdwn writer Michelle Leidecker, the latter closes the album and was “born from a conversation about the pandemic’s disruption and how even within that there is peace.”
Although this upcoming album is certainly Albarn’s largest current project, he still has plans to create more music with both of his bands, Blur and Gorillaz. With Gorillaz, particularly, he stated in an interview with NME that the band is working on “carnival-themed music.” Such a style is most similar to the virtual band’s early tracks, such as their 2001 hit “Clint Eastwood.” This solo album gives Albarn a chance to showcase his more mellow styles, and this track the chance to present a variety of memories and cultures.
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