Blur (Blur Album) - Critical Reaction

Critical Reaction

Blur received positive reviews from the majority of music critics. Many praised the albums stylistic change with Stephen Thomas Erlewine of allmusic calling the album a "logical progression, highlighting the band's rich eclecticism and sense of songcraft. Certainly, they are trying for new sonic territory, bringing in shards of white noise, gurgling electronics, raw guitars, and druggy psychedelia, but these are just extensions of previously hidden elements of Blur's music." While The Austin Chronicle praised the album for unveiling a punchy brand of muscular Brit-pop that dances around raucous, Kinks-like garage-pop ("Movin' On," "M.O.R."), tender, Beatles-like harmonies ("Beetlebum," "Look Inside America"), punky quirk ("Chinese Bombs"), soulful balladry ("Country Sad Ballad Man"), obligatory space-rock trip-hop ("Theme from Retro," "I'm Just Killer for Your Love"), and a raise-yer-mug singalong ("On Your Own"). James Hunter, writing for Rolling Stone, claimed that "what still makes great is their deep grasp of style and genre. What they haven't done on Blur is roll out of bed, strum a few chords and loudly free-associate about the first thing that pops into their heads. This is a record that inhabits current American rock biases as cogently and intelligently as Parklife corralled the last few decades of British rock."

Many praised lyrics such as the ones in "Look inside America/ She's alright", and noting Albarn's "obligatory nod to Beck, the new Pavement album as if paid to do so", reviewers felt the band had come to accept American values during this time—an about-face of their attitude during the Britpop years. Erlewine wrote that "Blur might be self-consciously eclectic, but Blur are at their best when they are trying to live up to their own pretensions, because of Damon Albarn's exceptional sense of songcraft and the band's knack for detailed arrangements that flesh out the songs to their fullest."

At the 1998 NME Awards, Blur received a nomination for Best Album. However, it lost to Radiohead's OK Computer.

Unlike some of Blur's previous albums, praise from the band members has remained. "I'm really fond of that record," Coxon said in 2009. "I think it's one of our best."