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Review
Perhaps the most striking thing about the music on offer here is how stripped down it is. The influence of dub and hip hop looms large, especially on tracks featured from their first two albums, their self-titled debut of 2001 and its 2005 follow-up, Demon Days. These see simple instrumentation bedded down over programmed drumbeats that sounded nostalgic even at the time of release. (Once upon a time they’d even have been described as ‘baggy’.) But Albarn’s alter ego seems to allow him to shake off concepts of indie credibility that he may otherwise have clung to, aiming instead for the pop jugular with the simple melodies of Feel Good Inc and Clint Eastwood, whose loping gait does nothing to diminish that chorus: "I’ve got sunshine in a bag", a sly reference to the actor’s classic The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (also the inspiration for the name of another Albarn side project, The Good, the Bad & the Queen).
Eastwood’s there again on the brilliant Dirty Harry, another shuffling beat underpinning an uplifting children’s choir until Bootie Brown takes the mike. Albarn’s social conscience is also in evidence here, the kids singing "I need a gun to keep myself from harm", an idea echoed (obviously) in Kids With Guns. 2010’s Plastic Beach birthed four further singles, but they made less of an impact, despite the fact that they see Albarn pursue a more commercially pop route: Superfast Jellyfish demonstrates an attractive lightness of touch, while On Melancholy Hill reflects its name perfectly, Albarn sounding glum over a candyfloss minor-key pop classic that deserved to peak far higher than 78 in the British charts.
Sadly there’s nothing here from their iPad album, The Fall, and instead we’re given the sped-up, somewhat disorientating Ed Case/Sweet Irie version of Clint Eastwood. But that fails to distract from the fact that Albarn has, against the odds, proven himself to be one of the most inventive of the UK’s high-profile musicians over the past two decades. Admire the riches this national treasure has bestowed upon us. There’s plenty to smile about, though Gorillaz remain no laughing matter.
--Wyndham Wallace
Find more music at the BBC This link will take you off Amazon in a new window
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Customer Reviews
Yes, twice.
Firstly, there is the music on the CD. This is clearly for people who have heard a couple of the singles and enjoyed them, it's not been done to cash in on existing fans by including a remix or track not previously released. Yes, Doncamatic is only on this album, but is also available standalone. And, much as with Blur, when you trim some of the fat that lurked across the albums, quality remains. There are strong tunes throughout the album, there are basslines and beats to tap your feet and nod your head to. Would the Gorillaz have been musically successful if just presented as Damon Albarn and guests (and the contribution of the collaborators, guests and producers should not be overlooked) or if even these songs had been filtered through the prism of Blur? I think the answer here is yes.
And secondly, if you get the +DVD version, then you get much more - since the concept is an animated band, it is as good to watch the videos as it is to listen to the music as they bring the cartoon characters to life. And you can watch the budget visibly increase, from the first, fairly static show of Tomorrow Comes Today through to the live action, Bruce Willis starring Stylo. Plus, there are chances to see various live presentations of the Gorillaz music, these are both interesting to see and generally joyous affairs.
Is this album earth shattering? No. Will it change your life? No. But it might just enrich it a little - when you hear the cymbals crashing and bringing a smile to your face as they begin Clint Eastwood, or when you feel your feet start to twitch as Dare gets going, or when you get the tune from On Melancholy Hill on repeat in your head, and so on. This is an album of assured pop music from a master of the craft.
If this is the last we hear of the Gorillaz, then let's hope that Damon Albarn's next musical project is as fruitful.
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