... Almost unrecognizable

the development of blur on the last three albums is striking: from "überblur" ("The Great Escape") on "antiblur" (sarcastic as "blur") to "nichtblur" ("13"). In fact, the blur of "On Your Own" and "Song 2" almost unrecognizable, let alone the band that once "the universal" and "Country House" is said to have brought out. here and there scraps remain - "bluremi" stands in tradition of such hau-top-songs like "Song 2" or "chinese bombs" and the lalalalas at "Swamp Song" and "bugman" are also very familiar, but is otherwise Nothing stayed the same.
The biggest difference to "blur" is, I think that the mood has changed sides of a melancholy hangover phenomenon into a serious depression. the guys at the selftitled plate were just tired, so recalls the resignation of "1992" ("You'd love my bed / You took the other instead"), "caramel" ("I've gotta get over / I 've got to get better ") or" trim Trabb "(" That's just the way it is ") nearly to Robert Smith. The lyrics are personal, honest, not as sarcastic.
the band is working a lot more with sounds, melodies with less. an "End of the Century" in vain, however, blur had previously never even such a songwriting as "mellow song" or "no distance left to run" managed - just good, profound songs. the rest are more compositions that evolve over 7 minutes, only to disappear into nothingness. the sound mix, it creates a maze that you like to order again in the head.
Conclusion: blur and prog - what was shining exclude each other, work. and how!