Blur - Modern Life Is Rubbish
Reviewed by Q, April 1993

Of the post-baggy bands on the crowded 1991 scene, Blur were the one who really came good with their debut offering, Leisure-all precocious power chords, upstart Essex vocals and impertinent pop theatrics. If following the heaped-high hype was a pressurised task, there's no sign of nerves in these close-packed grooves. Picking up somewhere near where they left off and again in the exemplary, dynamic company of producer Stephen Street, Blur storm off on an energised, infectious romp around contemporary little England, by way of an exuberant trawl through a highly-coloured patchwork of its pop past. That their own personality remains larger than life throughout is telling. Awash with lush arrangements, with guitarist Graham Coxon placing contenders for the vacant crown of Johnny Marr back in their places and with singer Damon Albarn finding a more assertive, speeding personality to go with his streaming lyrics it couldn't really be any other way.

 (4/5)                                                                                   David Roberts