On the back of his last solo album, Everyday Robots (2014), Albarn is back with the single “Royal Morning Blue” after a line of very successful singles leading up to his new album. “Particles”, “Polaris”, and the title track, “The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows”, have built the atmosphere for the new release- which is out on the 12th of November. Written in Iceland, the direction of the album takes shape around Albarn’s view from his piano out the sea. “That’s why the song opens with ‘rain turning into snow’ because it’s that moment, that feeling. In all the darkness that we have experienced, that was such a beautiful,  positive thing” commented Albarn. Alongside the single, a special cinematic has been released from the series entitled ‘sublime Boulevards- Performance films’.

Exploring the human condition during a time of panic, Damon Albarn was set to make an orchestral album but inspired the beauty of Iceland Albarn explores the themes of loss, fragility, and rebirth. these themes can be discovered through a limited run of vinyl, CD, and cassette. The CD edition will include ‘Huldufolk’, a 20 minute “hidden” track. On top of that, a super-deluxe version of the album will include a casebound photography book, original scanned lyrics, and artwork from Damon, himself.

Tracklist for The Nearer The Foutain, More Pure The Stream Flows:

1. The Nearer The Foutain, More Pure The Stream Flows
2. The Cormorant
3. Royal Morning Blue
4. Combustion
5. Daft Wader
6. Esja
7. The Tower Of Montevideo
8. Polaris
9. Particles

You can pre-order your copy here.

The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows, the new studio album will be released by new label home Transgressive Records on 12th November 2021. Pre-order and single out now: https://t.co/2L231hE8qW pic.twitter.com/anEiKsEjch

— Damon Albarn (@Damonalbarn) June 22, 2021

He is set to tour the album across Europe at the beginning of 2022. This will see Damon return to his throne and perform his new music for the first time across these countries. After two acclaimed festival shows in Manchester and Edinburgh this summer, the excitement for the tour has already begun to rise. Especially after they recently broadcasted a show at The Globe earlier this week.

The dates of his 2022 European tour:

21/02/22- Barbican- London
22/02- Barbican- London
23/02- National Concert Hall- Dublin
24/02- National Concert Hall- Dublin
26/02- Philharmonie- Luxembourg
28/02- Bozar- Brussels
1/03- Bozar- Brussels
2/03- Muziekgebouw- Eindhoven
4/03- Philharmonie- Paris
5/03-Philharmonie- Paris
6/03- Auditorium- Lyon
7/03- Elbphilharmonie- Hamburg
9/03- KB Hallen- Copenhagen
11/03- Harpa- Reykjavik

You can get your tickets to see Damon here.

Photo Credit: Press/Linda Brownlee