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"Blur reinvented themselves with their second album, abandoning the shoegazing and baggy influences that dominated "Leisure" for traditional pop. On the surface, "Modern Life..." may appear to be an homage to the Kinks, David Bowie, the Beatles, and Syd Barrett, yet it isn't a restatement, it's a revitalization. Blur use British guitar pop from the Beatles to My Bloody Valentine as a foundation, spinning off tales of contemporary despair. Graham Coxon's guitar tears each song open, either with unpredictable melodic lines or layers of translucent, hypnotic effects, and his work creates great tension with Alex James' kinetic bass. And that provides Albarn a vibrant background for his social satires and cutting commentary. But the reason this is such a dynamic record and ushered in a new era of British pop is that nearly every song is carefully constructed and boasts a killer melody." (S.T. Erlewine, Allmusic) Deze fraaie 2012-editie gaat vergezeld van een bonus-CD met 19 vooral van singles afkomstige tracks.