Blur – Tender Review

Tender is the right word for this extraordinary song. When we look back on Blur’s discography it is their hits and singles which still stand out. Their album work is stronger now than it was before their reunion. Something about hearing Stereotypes live at Wembley Stadium cements their legacy and the understated passions rolling through their deep cuts. But their hits are winners for good reason, and Tender is one of their best. An emotionally mature yet complete breakdown of sense in the face of grief. Such is life. Damon Albarn projects a chilling honesty onto this one, and yet the hopeful materials within it and the ramifications of such a timeless song still flows. Gone is the whimsy and light-heartedness of a cool summer coasting through the country and in comes an introspective heartbreaker which, for many bands of the time, would prove to be their greatest moment. 

Not just because of the lyrical complexity or the instrumental passion but because of its humanity. For its striking realism in the face of what was, essentially, poptimism. Optimistic ditties about life in the great United Kingdom, and Blur was certainly a poster band for this sensibility. It is a song calling for peace in a time of trouble. The key to Tender is its simplicity. We all feel the want and lust of the song. It is a universal appeal and feels far more stringent than the giddy pop charms which the band were infecting the airwaves with just three years before this. What a change of fortune and form for the four, who sound articulate and persevere under the heavy guilt of relationships breaking up. Honesty is crucial to this song. With it comes the openness which is saddled with any great song. Tender is one of the finest songs around, let alone one of the best from Blur.  

A mourning for an affection no longer present. That is what makes Tender so shocking – especially with the demons at the door, the desire present from Albarn to “get through it”. “It” in this sense is the loss. There is no arguing with the heart and charm present on Tender. What are we but loved? Albarn presents this simple concept and stretches it with the rest of an in-form band to seven minutes. Graham Coxon cutting through with repetitions of “oh baby,” the percussion charms of Dave Rowntree and the steady grooves held together by Alex James makes for an outstanding experience. The B-Sides are just as charming and relevant to this struggle of the heart. 

While waiting for that relief to come, the feeling Tender is so desperate to find and enjoy the B-Sides. All We Want and Mellow Jam are neat additions to this release. A grunge burst of distortion can be heard on All We Want, more a classic Coxon moment than anything else. It is a buried gem of a song. Another of the band’s greatest pieces but overlooked because of the raw passion and emotional openness of Tender. Mellow Jam is as its title suggests, a still-refined piece of instrumental work which only adds to the brutality and earnestness of the title track. These are tracks with as big a heart as the likes of Parklife or Country House but the realism which afflicts the band at this time still rings true. Honest moments like this are rare for any artist, but this one sticks its repetitive clarity and nails the lingering, permanent heartbreak.