****1/2

The Magic Whip is a strange trip down a strange road with vast musical impressionism, symbolism, and words so cryptic you’d be best served calling in an ancestor to translate. Even so, there’s enough from Albarn’s imagination to spark your own and enough relatability in those unexorcised demons and carparks to resonate. Not to mention, the glorious Brit-Pop hook on “Ong Ong” and the lovestricken agony in “Mirrorball” and “Ghost Ship” are among the greatest offerings to music this year.