19. 80's Life
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLG5bl_7fxM '80's Life' is a track that belongs in another era. No really, it sounds like a 60's ballad: something Skeeter Davis would sing. Triplets of piano chords stab away, harmonies rise and the lyrics ask the Lord if a stone "can be ballast for an aching soul". The drums never join us. It's about as minimal as Damon as ever gone for Track 2 on an album, and it's mesmerisingly lovely. It's like a hymn that longs for an answer, and for an artist who's consistently pushed the boundaries of British rock and pop, it's endearing to see Damon Albarn take a look back at music that he might've grown up with. And let's face it, the man's music collection is as brilliant as his ambition.