Dave Rowntree – ‘Radio Songs’

While all of his bandmates within Blur have seemingly moved on to new projects since the band’s hiatus, drummer Dave Rowntree always seemed reluctant to pursue new music in recent years. Since the mid 00s, Rowntree has trained and worked as a solicitor, been a national radio DJ, and was even elected as part of Norwich County Council in 2017. But with all those ventures no longer part of his personal repertoire, he has returned to music to deliver his eagerly-awaited debut album ‘Radio Songs’, a record that looks to reflect his decades in the limelight.

Throughout this new collection, Rowntree seems keen to create a direction that couldn’t be compared to anything his bandmates Damon Albarn or Graham Coxon have explored before. In fact, ‘Radio Songs’ comes across as this wonderfully adventurous and inventive listen that sees him try his hand at a more atmospheric intention. While there are still the odd remnants of his Blur background in there, his latest offering is largely its own distinctive project that feels far more confident than we could have imagined.

If there were definitive elements that we could call a post-Britpop sound, ‘Radio Songs’ would probably fit perfectly within that arena. It has elements of those heady heydays, but is largely a more refined and experimental listen that forever searches for something new to explore. Not bad for a legendary musician that never seemed keen to pursue this concept before.