The Good, The Bad And The Queen - The Good, The Bad And The Queen (2007)

Damon Albarn’s supergroup The Good, the Bad, and the Queen have released “Gun To The Head” and an accompanying video ahead of their comeback album Merrie Land. Organ, bassoon, recorder, and a British Invasion-style ensemble pop hook lend the song a cheery boardwalk shine, undercut by Albarn’s knotty lyrics of conspiratorial and repressive governance. Like that for the LP’s title track, the video centers a man dressed as a ventriloquist puppet, supported in this case by puppet backup singers.

The Good, the Bad, and the Queen feature Albarn alongside Clash bassist Paul Simonon, Verve guitarist Simon Tong, and Africa ’70 drummer Tony Allen. Merrie Land , due on November 16 via Studio 13, will be their first full-length since their self-titled 2007 debut. Longtime Davie Bowie collaborator Tony Visconti executive produced the project. The band recently performed “Merrie Land” on Later… with Jools Holland and will play five U.K. shows in December. Albarn’s latest release as Gorillaz, The Now Now, dropped in June.