As a response to the dominance of grunge in the U.K. and their own decreasing profile in their homeland -- and also as a response to Suede's sudden popularity -- Blur reinvented themselves with their second album, Modern Life Is Rubbish, abandoning the shoegazing and baggy influences that dominated Leisure for traditional pop. On the surface, Modern Life may appear to be an homage to the Kinks, David Bowie, the Beatles, and Syd Barrett, yet it isn't a restatement, it's a revitalization. Blur use British guitar pop from the Beatles to My Bloody Valentine as a foundation, spinning off tales of contemporary despair. If Damon Albarn weren't such a clever songwriter, both lyrically and melodically, Modern Life could have sunk under its own pretensions, and the latter half does drag slightly. However, the record teems with life, since Blur refuse to treat their classicist songs as museum pieces. Graham Coxon's guitar tears each song open, either with unpredictable melodic lines or layers of translucent, hypnotic effects, and his work creates great tension with Alex James' kinetic bass. And that provides Albarn a vibrant background for his social satires and cutting commentary. But the reason Modern Life Is Rubbish is such a dynamic record and ushered in a new era of British pop is that nearly every song is carefully constructed and boasts a killer melody, from the stately "For Tomorrow" and the punky "Advert" to the vaudeville stomp of "Sunday Sunday" and the neo-psychedelic "Chemical World." Even with its flaws, it's a record of considerable vision and excitement. [The American version of Modern Life Is Rubbish substitutes the demo version of "Chemical World" for the studio version on the British edition. It also adds the superb single "Pop Scene" before the final song, "Resigned."] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Following LEISURE, a debut featuring many exquisite moments of melody, Blur began their chameleonic artistic journey with MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH, a record that eschewed massive sonic edifices and swirling harmonies for more basic guitar rock. However, there was little simple about the foursome's creations, as singer/chief-songwriter Damon Albarn fulfilled the promise he hinted at on the prior album: a Beatle-esque ability to pour an incredible amount of drama and adornment into small spaces and emerge with delectable pop.

Leadoff track "For Tomorrow," with its jangly guitar and "la la la la la" chorus sets the tone of the album as well as an opening song can. Its lyrics dance with a subtle complexity, examining optimism while mired in the repetition of modern life (and its rubbish) as renegade strings pop in at just the right points. It's the surprising little touches that really define the band and make Blur's concoctions soar above the rabble. MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH is one of those records that improves with each listen, with the quiet brilliance of story-songs like "Colin Zeal," "Chemical World," and "Pop Scene" (a smart addition to the US release). MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH is a testament to Albarn's maturing songwriting gift and a tightly wrapped pop record simultaneously behind and ahead of its time.