by Michael Hubbard BBC News Online

First album without Graham Coxon

British band Blur have relaunched their website, which now includes footage of their recording sessions.

Blur's activities have been monitored by a webcam, with images from their worldwide recording sessions and rehearsal studio to give fans a taste of their new album, Think Tank.

It has been four years since their last original album, and the visual diary on their website shows how Think Tank was rehearsed, mixed and recorded.

The site also allows you to link your own webcams with the site in the Think Tank section.

Excellent news - if you have a fast internet connection and up-to-date software. Otherwise, viewers might find this new site frustratingly slow.

Those who do not have the correct plug-in will be redirected to a software site to download it, which takes an interminable time.

And you will not be able to access the site without it.

This cavalier attitude to website construction is commented upon in the obligatory chat forum.

The band release their new album in May

Once the plug-in is installed, the black, grey and white site finally appears. The 10 sections, including the forum, are accessible from a main menu.

But several of these areas are still under construction - the members' area, the international page and even the Blur section all promise something "soon" but lack any content now.

The diary section is one part that does work. It appears to be sporadically updated with the latest musings from bassist Alex James.

The news section is also up and running, offering handy snippets on what the band are up to and in which papers they are appearing.

But the main reason to come to the site is for the webcams.

The new album is the first without founding guitarist Graham Coxon - but it seems Blur's webcam failed to catch any bust-ups between him and the other members.

Instead, views of Venice Beach, Naples, Florida, Cologne and even Leicester Square greet the user.

It is a pleasant idea, and makes a change to the usual official band website fare of downloads, press hyperbole and shops.

But it does not realistically provide a "think tank" - this is more of a "viewfinder".

And after the hassle of accessing it, the webcam is distinctly underwhelming.