" Blur might be self-consciously eclectic, but Blur are at their best when they are trying to live up to their own pretensions, because of Damon Albarn's exceptional sense of songcraft and the band's knack for detailed arrangements that flesh out the songs to their fullest. There might be dark overtones to the record, but the band sounds positively joyous, not only in making noise but wreaking havoc with the expectations of its audience and critics".
"By this point they were listening to Pavement and all their heroes were across the pond. The song Look Inside America said it all. With its referrals to lovers conversations over the long distance crackle of a phone, here was Albarn taking the Beatle-esque vibe and re-tooling it for a wider market, less bothered about the snapshots of Olde Englande. Blur serves as a sampler of all these new influences and urges".