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Zero 7
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed albums.
13
Generally favorable reviews
Based on 17 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 21 votes
Read user comments
Rate this album >
Album Info
Label: Food/Virgin
Release Date: 23 March 1999
Discs: 1 disc
Genre(s): Alternative, Rock, Britpop
Summary
Damon Albarn's breakup album (he split with his longtime girlfriend, Elastica's Justine Frischmann, prior to recording) was produced by William Orbit and features the singles "Tender" and "Coffee & TV" (although it failed to produce an American hit along the likes of the previous album's "Song 2").
Also By This Artist: The Best Of Blur Think Tank
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Entertainment Weekly
Orbit's masterfully sludgy production adds a layer of grime to even the poppiest songs, and his cut-and-paste edits and swooshing studio flourishes create a sense of dizzy late-night anguish throughout.
Read Full Review >Sonicnet
Methodical, often sprawling and sonically messy, 13 isn't a charmer, but it is awfully seductive.
Read Full Review >All Music Guide
13's strange, frustrating combination of expert musicianship and self-indulgence reveals the sound of a band trying to find itself.
Read Full Review >Almost Cool
If you're a fan of the old Blur material, this disc may not be your thing.
Read Full Review >PopMatters
13 is the first Blur record that requires multiple listenings for it to really sink in.
Read Full Review >The Onion (A.V. Club)
At first listen, it may be hard to figure out whether 13 is some sort of twisted masterpiece or the work of a once-great group losing the plot. Those who stick around to find out will be rewarded.
Read Full Review >Nude As The News
With patience, 13 reveals itself as sort of a poor man's OK Computer, only instead of Radiohead's airborne sonic journey through the future, Blur investigates the murk of its inner-city swamps.
Read Full Review >MTV.com
Despite all this experimentation, Blur still sneaks in perfect pop nuggets such as "Coffee & TV," where cheery harmonies share space with a squealing guitar.
Read Full Review >Ink Blot Magazine
If Blur was a tentative step away from the pop past, 13 is a suicidal leap - the little girls are not coming back after they hear this.
Read Full Review >CDNow
The best results are in the vein of Low-era Bowie. The duds turn up, surprisingly, in the area that Blur is strongest -- songwriting.
Read Full Review >New Musical Express
Blur's most inconsistent and infuriating statement thus far. Infuriating, because divested of four solid-gone clunkers '13' could pass muster as the best of Blur.
Read Full Review >Launch.com
If there's a downside, it's that 13 may sound more like a sampler of ideas than a single-minded effort.
Read Full Review >E! Online
Little gems are overwhelmed by sprawling jam tracks that, well, blur into each other.
Read Full Review >What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this album is 7.6 (out of 10) based on 21 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Marcin gave it a10:
I've just listened to this album for the first time. Absolutely fantastic work of art! It sounds like the best records by Pink Floyd, David Bowie, King Krimson, and Air.
Pablo L gave it a10:
I'm surprised people didn't rate this higher. I love this album a lot!
joe c gave it a7:
Very experimental album by blur but with a lot of good songs, but suffers from 2 or 3 bad songs and some of the songs dragging too much. still a very good listen, and it took the experimental nature of 13 to build the amazing Think Tank.
Raza gave it a10:
a beautiful sonic mess. takes time to sort through the fuzz though. highlights include "coffee & tv" "mellow song" "trim trabb" and "1992"
Leonardo F gave it a10:
their best album yet.
dema d gave it a10:
absolutely mindblowing...
Daniel C gave it a10:
best album ever...
