6/10

When The Good, The Bad & The Queen first emerged as a supergroup back in 2007, they were seen as a quaint and enigmatic project formed through the wistful guise of Damon Albarn, who was looking to try something different outside of Blur and Gorillaz. Their self-titled debut album stood as a one-off dive into the ethereal world of post-modern British indie music, looking to act as a mirror to the country's own divisive identity and direction. And since the Brexit vote, the division in the idea of what it is to be British has overflown more than ever, making the band's return even more poignant and purposeful than we could have imagined.

During the writing process for 'Merrie Land', Albarn ventured across the country, looking for inspiration and opinions that he could adopt and help reflect on the band's second studio album. From the start, this new full-length stands very much in the same light as their debut except with this dark and more ominous presence lingering over it. As soon as you hear that Brexit has been the driving force of creativity within this new release, you suddenly begin to listen to it in a different light. The use of subtle funfair organs and choirs have made this record a bleak and depressing affair, that seems to be how the whole of Britain has felt these last couple of years.

In a sense, Albarn has tried to capture the mood of both sides. While the remain camp feel a sense of dread on the horizon, those that voted to leave have been feeling this dread for years beforehand, and it is those individuals that the outfit have tried to appeal to. A portrait of England as seen by those that remember its glory days, if it ever had any at all.