The self-titled debut album from British supergroup The Good, The Bad, and The Queen may come as a bit of a surprise to those whose hopes have been dashed in the past by alt-rock collaborations that never managed to amount to more than the sum of their parts. It may come as less of a surprise to those already familiar with the lineup, which includes Damon Albarn(of Blur and Gorillaz notoriety) and the legendary Paul Simonon of The Clash. Tony Allen, a legend of Afrobeat percussion and former key member of Africa 70, joins them. The Verve's Simon Tong lends an atmospheric guitar, sometimes hovering almost unnoticeable above the more overt instrumentation of his band mates, but beautifully augmenting Albarn's shimmering song-craft.

And song-craft is, one immediately notices, the primary issue. Though having been recognized throughout his career in both Blur and Gorillaz as a prodigious songwriter, Albarn has never achieved the level of maturity and beauty presented here. The Good, The Bad, and The Queen is unmistakable Albarn, but it far surpasses his work in his previous bands, his playfulness only occasionally peeking out from behind brooding contemplation. And reining it all in is the production of none other than Danger Mouse, the iconoclast who recently collaborated with Albarn on Gorillaz' 'Demon Days'.

Masterfully creating an atmosphere of brooding tension that penetrates even the lightest songs, 'The Good, The Bad, and The Queen' almost feels like a concept album, flowing like the psychedelia of yesteryear from eerie organ dirges to spacious pop. Make no mistake: this is not 'Park Life', 'London Calling', or 'Demon Days'. This is something new that rings with haunting history, and yet keeps a keen eye on what lies ahead. Hopefully, what lies ahead is indeed more from this somehow perfectly matched quartet. They are clearly onto something that could prove wholly unforgettable.

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