Gorillaz
Plastic Beach

Virgin Records

The best part of the Gorillaz to me is that it is an experiment. An experiment usually allows for the people involved to try new things and see what happens without much penalty.

For the Gorillaz, the experiment has proved to be incredibly successful. Their first album spawned a bunch of singles and made them a household name. Their second album, Demon Days was less of a experiment considering they were a proven entity at that point and led to mixed reviews.

Big name publications still felt they were on the edge but the more sophisticated indie fans were over this experiment. Personally, I saw it from both sides. I still enjoyed the record in that it was good music but I wasn’t blown away.

Five years later.

Frankly, the music scene is rich and I don’t give a shit about the Gorillaz unless they come out with some great music. Show me something.

Enter Plastic Beach.

After a brief intro, the album starts off with a “foreword” track from Snoop Dogg. This was a nifty approach as Snoop is a great metaphor in that he symbolizes how audiences just sort of “take it for what it is” at some point because they are comfortable with the music and their expectations are more relaxed.

Rhinestone Eyes leads into the album proper and Damon Albarn reintroduces us into the hazy, lazy vocals we’ve come to associate with the Gorillaz. With “Superfast”, they switch to a hip-hop track reminding us that each album is a mixed bag of genres. The hip-hop on the album is one of the highlights as “Superfast” and “Stylo” offer nice interpretations and contrast. Superfast being more on the smooth, glam vibe and “Stylo” rides a faster electro-beat the whole way.

Other tracks like “Some Kind Of Nature” (with Lou Reed) and “On Melancholy Hill” deliver on the genre flipping Gorillaz albums are known for. “On Melancholy Hill” is their attempt at the token 80s revival track we see in indie albums these days - which works as their interpretation felt genuine.

So whether or not the Gorillaz concept is even mildly interesting these days is besides the point. They group is capable of making great music and this album offers a fun way to break out of a fit of boredom at the very least.

— Jack Tse