Album of the Day

LEISURE was a very promising debut from Blur, even if it was a bit removed from the music that later launched the quartet to stardom. Shoegazing and Madchester influences are strong on the 1991 collection, and if that makes it an anomaly for the band, the outstanding songcraft that would become Blur's trademark can already be heard - “She's So High,” “Sing” and “There's No Other Way” were all single-worthy, and the set reached the Top 10 in the group's native England. Original producer Stephen Street (of Smiths fame) remastered the album to celebrate its 21st anniversary, and the Special Edition of LEISURE sounds better than ever. We'll give it a spin now to celebrate guitarist Graham Coxon's birthday!