To call The Good, The Bad & The Queen’s debut the “natural successor” to Blur’s 1994 breakthrough, “Parklife,” would seem like an easy out for critics of Damon Albarn.

Hate him, and this record is a dozen years too late and a futile attempt to grasp those Brit-pop days the Blur-frontman put aside for cartoon ambiance. Love him, and this self-titled release picks up right where his brilliant guitar tunes left off. Except it’s not critics, but the red-haired singer himself, that made the comparison between the two records.

In truth, “The Good, The Bad & The Queen” is exactly what any Albarn production has ever been – unmistakably Damon. Regardless of which ensemble the 38-year-old stands in front, he’s in charge and he won’t let you or even his bandmates forget it. Be it Blur, Gorillaz or his current cast of who’s-whos.

It’s why, while in Blur, pop-songsmith extraordinaire Graham Coxon was reduced to bit parts that ultimately caused him to leave the multi-platinum group. It’s why Gorillaz – which has featured Dan “The Automator” Nakamura, Kid Koala and Del tha Funkee Homosapien – sounds like a hip-hop version of Blur. And that sound is why, despite its all-star roster, The Good, The Bad & The Queen sounds like, well, Blur, too.

“The Good, The Bad & The Queen” is conceptually about London life during wartime. And from the sound of it, that’s a dreary place to be. Slow-paced at best, the 12 songs sashay through tales of loss, lust and lethargy, and do nothing but further the stereotype that England’s capital can be a dismal place. Dense layers of strings (“Behind The Sun”) bleed into bizarrely placed electronic blips (“The Bunting Song”) and hauntingly marching drums (“Three Changes”). All the while, Albarn’s trademark pipes lead us through the somber viewpoint of what life as a middle-aged curmudgeon is like.

Yet, despite its down-in-the-dumps facade, this debut is intensely complex and only solidifies Albarn’s reputation as a prolific -­­ albeit heavy-handed – genius. A reputation he is all too aware of.

Derek Wright is a music critic for the Northern Star.