DAMON ALBARN

The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows (TRANSGRESSIVE)

Never averse to a project, Britpop’s inexhaustible alum went from Gorillaz hyperactivity to this more pensive work. First conceived as an orchestral homage to his Icelandic second home, The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows (a John Clare line) evolved in lockdown into a more wistful, writerly work: the song cycle of a globetrotter confined – as were we all – to barracks. Standout track:

The Cormorant