Merrie land is the second album from The Good, The Bad and The Queen, a band comprising of Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Tony Allen and Simon Tong. Their debut album from 2007 traced a journey from the English music hall tradition to West Africa and Afrobeat, zigzagging through the West Indies and its reggae and dub, back to England and London's punk scene, all the while taking in a strand of British beat music from the '50s right through to Britpop. The result was a record specific to a place and mood but with a background that was geographically wide-ranging. Now the four musical storytellers are back with a new studio album titled Merrie Land.
Produced by Tony Visconti and The Good, The Bad and The Queen was completed in London and Wales this year, during the current ongoing period in which the UK is preparing to leave the European Union, Merrie Land is a questioning good-bye letter, a series of observations and reflections on Britishness in 2018. Even though it has been over 10 years since the band last released a record, the timing could not be more apt – there could not be a more perfect band to untangle the optimism, disorientation and confusion in the atmosphere today.
With Merrie Land, the band taps into a creative symbiosis of past and future, drawing inspiration from their shared glittering musical histories and wrapping the hybrid results in a brilliantly postmodern yet thoroughly British package. The album sees the band’s focus move beyond London with a beautiful and hopeful paean to the Britain of today - an inclusive Britain - and the possibilities of the future. In the band’s own words, Merrie Land is a ten song lament of Anglo-Saxosentialism marking the reluctant end of a relationship, and about picking up the pieces and seeing what can be salvaged. The band set a beautifully muted palette and lustrous finish to bring out a mood that is bruised yet unapologetically defiant and optimistic, and carries the underlying message: we will survive.
In times of metaphysical trauma, the people need to forge ahead and wear armour. Here it is, set to the mood music of a nation about to be broken yet undefeated.

意境——秋日海港
这是一张属于秋天的专辑。忧郁、怀旧、感伤却又平静淡然。既有繁华逝去的悲怆，又有时光沉淀的收获。所以，在聆听这张《The Good, The Bad & The Queen》时，你所感受到的不会是懵懂的少年站在空旷的原野上为赋新辞强说愁，而是一个中年男子漫步在英国的小镇上，徘徊于傍晚的港口边，平静地思索着人生，偶尔会忆起年轻莽撞的过往而微笑自嘲，偶尔会为人类无休止的争战而忧愁，他给自己套上沉重的责任感，同时向往着平静、自然的乡村生活。
阵容——元老精英
blur与Gorillaz的主脑Damon Albarn、The Clash的贝司手Paul Simonon、The Verve的吉他手Simon Tong、Fela Kuti的鼓手Tony Allen，以及天才混音DJ－Danger Mouse，如此的阵容能让你想到什么？“活化石”级精英乐队？各大牌不甘示弱互拼技艺的摇滚秀？不，也许正是因为他们都已经不再是轻狂迷茫的青年，懂得淡然，懂得低调，所以懂得好音乐需要有主次详略。Damon平静舒适的吟唱与Paul低沉稳重的Bass作为主线贯穿始终，出挑而令人无法忽视。而Simon清冷的吉他与Tony的鼓则一直中规中矩，毫无逾越之感——当然，最后一首颇似即兴Jamming的《The Good, The Bad & The Queen》是个例外，几位精英各自拿出看家本领你追我赶，互不相让，愈演愈烈的节奏不停地挑逗着听者的神经。
Damon Albarn——灵性依旧
Damon究竟有何种魄力，能够号召起一众乐坛前辈为他献技？我想大概是他作为音乐主创者一直以来所保持的才思与灵性。上个世纪末那些出色的Britpop名团中，我之所以对blur偏爱有加，就是因为他们音乐中那挥之不去的灵气。直到Gorillaz时期，转变了音乐风格的Damon依旧是才思满溢，丝毫没有枯竭的征兆。而此次走独立路线的The Good, The Bad & The Queen依然保持了无限的新鲜感与相当的水准。Damon式音乐花哨而不繁复的编曲背后，是一众英伦老炮经过岁月的磨砺而沉淀下的才情。
音乐——萧瑟隽永
整张专辑的怀旧气息很浓重，正如开头所说，给人一种漫步于秋日夕阳中英国小镇的海港上的感觉。专辑中的各首歌曲水准相当，没有相比之下特别出挑的——其实我宁可说，首首皆为精品，以致于使整张专辑显得没有高潮与低谷。歌与歌之间巧妙的过渡与衔接也是这张专辑的出色之处，连贯性很强——一口气听完整张专辑，倒像是只听了一首歌。编曲华丽却并不冗杂，Paul的bass始终是最夺人耳线的主导。歌词方面，Damon表达了他对人类生活的高度关注——战争、爱情，以及对平静安稳的幸福的追求。
The Good, The Bad & The Queen——好人、坏蛋还是皇后一样都是人，一样都做着生存所必须做的事，与其为了虚浮的名利而身心交瘁，倒不如甩掉包袄，呼吸一下乡野的新鲜空气，活出自己真正想要的人生——安然、幸福.