Think Tank
by Blur
  • Record Label: Virgin
  • Release Date: May 6, 2003
Metascore
83

Universal acclaim - based on 26 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 26
  3. Negative: 0 out of 26
  1. Rolling Stone
    80
    An album so disjointed that it seems to artfully fall apart as it plays.
  2. E! Online
    100
    Give it a couple of spins, and you'll find it's completely mind-blowing.
  3. Uncut
    100
    The sharpest, most imaginative and downright listenable album of Blur's career to date.... A grown-up alt.rock album of breathtaking potency and invention. [Album of the Month, June 2003, p.90]
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  5. Junkmedia
    80
    Part of the reason this record succeeds is that they haven't tried to replace Coxon, but rather rely on their remaining strengths like inventiveness and songcraft.
  6. Mojo
    90
    Invigorating and intriguing, as hummable as it is inventive... it's also possibly the best thing Blur have done. [May 2003, p.88]
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  7. ShakingThrough.net
    76
    Think Tank, then, is neither the best Blur album nor the worst; rather, it's a unique creature, guaranteed to be the oddball in the band's catalogue.
  8. Q Magazine
    80
    There are guitars, but they are rarely central. The beat-driven tracks veer towards the arty, white boy-with-beatbox line of Talking Heads and The Clash. [May 2003, p.96]
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  9. Epilogue Music
    79
    A wonderfully textured and mature album that shows they are continuing their arc of maturation and experimentation.
  10. Spin
    100
    The album shuffles and grooves like Fela Kuti sloshed on gin and tonics. [June 2003, p.100]
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  11. Nude As The News
    90
    In a way, this could be Blur's best record.
  12. Stylus Magazine
    88
    True, Think Tank is flawed. There are many, many things wrong with this album.... But the record’s peaks are extraordinary.
  13. Splendid
    70
    The Coxon-less Blur is a less focused Blur, but Albarn, James and Rowntree can still pull moments of sterling derision from beneath the fog.
  14. Rolling Stone
    80
    Their penchant for pillaging rock's past has vanished with Coxon, but their melodic faculties remain, and crafty tunes complement the sonic decay.
  15. Amazon.com
    80
    While Albarn still has an ear for a melody, without Coxon's guitars to subvert them, most of these songs sound like the work of a new band.
  16. New Musical Express (NME)
    80
    Against the odds, 'Think Tank' is a success, a record which might not mean much to Strokes fans but which shows Blur's creative spark is undimmed even while their stomach for the pop fight fades.
  17. PopMatters
    80
    Tank isn't simply a departure. It's also a collage of the best Blur have done.
  18. Dot Music
    90
    A mature and, occasionally beautiful album, possibly the finest of their career.
  19. The A.V. Club
    80
    If it is the end, Blur has gone out kicking as always.
  20. Alternative Press
    70
    A tame but rather satisfying affair. [Aug 2003, p.105]
    All this publication's reviews
  21. Playlouder
    100
    'Think Tank' is an extraordinary record that pushes boundaries and sets new standards.
  22. Pitchfork
    90
    Don't just judge it as an album by a band coming off a major line-up change. You won't need to.
  23. Drawer B
    80
    Think Tank is Blur’s most cerebral, wildly experimental album, ever.

Awards & Rankings

59
#59 Best Album of 2003
40
#40 Most Discussed Album of 2003
28
#28 Most Shared Album of 2003

User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
8.7

Universal acclaim- based on 118 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 110 out of 118
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 118
  3. Negative: 4 out of 118
  1. OhRly
    Aug 13, 2012
    10
    Don't let Metacritic fool you, this is nowhere near Britpop. Anyway, it's amazing for Blur's last album (for now that is, we'll see in theDon't let Metacritic fool you, this is nowhere near Britpop. Anyway, it's amazing for Blur's last album (for now that is, we'll see in the future). Interesting, odd, tender, touching, are some of the few words that can describe this magnificent album.… Full Review »
  2. DaveS
    Mar 15, 2007
    10
    Think Tank, while a little weird in that every track is completely different from the last, doesent have a bad song on it. I'll Think Tank, while a little weird in that every track is completely different from the last, doesent have a bad song on it. I'll definetly be hoping for Graham to come back though.… Full Review »
  3. DementedBySpace
    Feb 15, 2013
    10
    With Coxon departing the band to pursue his own solo career, blur were left to focus on Albarns weird influences, but what end product canWith Coxon departing the band to pursue his own solo career, blur were left to focus on Albarns weird influences, but what end product can those influences deliver. Think tank sounds quite nothing like blurs early material with African, hip hop, electronic, experimental melodies enriching their music as a whole, while the britpop is abandoned completely. The sounds can even picture those early to mid 20th century films who take place deep down the ocean with people wearing those underwater helmets presented well by Banksy on the albums artwork. Even though the music is filled with melancholy, it can still put a smile on your face especially while lying in the sun and discovering all the beauties of the world and your own mind through it or being in nature emptying the previously mentioned mind from useless thoughts. The adventure begins with ambulance and ends with a battery in your leg, which is the only track with Coxon contributing. Without any further ado, we should agree that putting Albarn in full control was the best thing that could have happened to blur as it has taken them to the musically higher level. With songs like brothers and sisters, on the way to the club, caravan and more, blur have shown and highlighted the direction in which Albarn has departed while keeping the bands sound recognisable. That sound filled with water associations can make your tears come down, drowning anything you've heard so far and making it one of the best albums of the last decade.… Full Review »
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