“The Good, The Bad & The Queen” is an album about being tired of it all, the Gorillaz equivalent of Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska.” The record is more than a side project but less than a new start for Gorillaz (and Blur) leadman Damon Albarn, who sounds unhappier than he did on Blur’s “13.” His guitarist, Simon Tong (formerly of the Verve), sounds almost exactly like Graham Coxon. But the strange synths and fuzz coloring the album, courtesy of producer Danger Mouse, is fascinating at best, obnoxious at worst. It’s a half-finished Blur album, with a little more brooding than usual.

Between all the whining and the melancholy, there are a few surprises. “Three Changes,” like every other song on the album, is a mess, but a calculated mess—a Sgt. Pepper’s-esque track that strays the farthest from the album’s gloom. Apart from Albarn and Danger Mouse, bassist Paul Simonon (of the Clash) contributes the most to the album’s feel. From the hopelessness of “Behind the Sun” to the electro-folk longing of “The Bunting Song,” his secure playing offsets the constant, aimless misery.

In short, the album can be heard, but it can’t really be enjoyed—eventually, one realizes that “The Good, the Bad, & The Queen” is little more than a bad Massive Attack song. There’s some magic here, but only the most patient listeners might unlock it.