(Opera Rock) Damon Albarn - Dr Dee - 2012, MP3, 320 kbps

It starts with birdsong and a church bell, and turns into a quirky blend of early English pastoral styles, opera and songs that might have been influenced by the weirdlore and psych-folk movements – but with African percussion and kora added in.
Damon Albarn‘s new album is based on the rise and fall of an Elizabethan mathematician who searched for the secrets of the universe. But you’ll need to research his story yourself if you want to understand the songs, as little is explained here. That’s unfortunate, because there’s some brave music, and reminders of Albarn’s gift for melody. The best tracks include the gently acoustic Apple Carts, the furious Watching the Fires That Waltzed Away, featuring an orchestra and crazed vocals from Christopher Robson as Dee’s nemesis John Kelley, and the The Moon Exalted, which switches from early English instrumentation and operatic vocals to an elegant kora solo from Madou Diabate, and a sturdy, charming burst of folk-pop, backed by kora and strings. Elsewhere, there are further surprises, from a lineup that includes viol, organ, guitars, the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, a choir and the celebrated African percussionist Tony Allen, who provides a hypnotic drum solo that mysteriously doesn’t seem out of place. Dr Dee was originally a stage show, first performed at the Manchester International festival last year, and will play at the English National Opera at the London Coliseum in June and July, as part of the Cultural Olympiad. Maybe Dee’s story will be clearer on stage.