RIYL: Massive Attack, Daft Punk, Gnarls Barkley, Justice
Damon Albarn is a hard guy to pin down. After first gaining notoriety as the lead singer for the band Blur, Albarn boldly branched out, forming the virtual band Gorillaz and becoming a member of not one, but two “supergroups”. His music dabbles in so many genres that at times it is impossible to categorize, as some of the best music often tends to be. How do you describe the best gems on Andre 3000’s “The Love Below” or on Frank Oceans “Channel Orange”? The same problem arises with the best of Albarn’s work, although to music fans worldwide it isn’t really a problem at all.
As a quick refresher, Gorillaz is technically a “virtual” band, consisting of four animated members. The flesh and blood of Gorillaz is Albarn, while band member Jamie Hewlett, an English comic book artist, handles character designs for the virtual members. The super catchy fusion of electronic and rap elements that characterize Gorillaz albums has led to widespread mainstream success, with the first two albums selling more than 15 million copies combined worldwide.
“The Fall” is Gorillaz fourth and most recent release. Recorded entirely on Albarn’s iPad during the American leg of the tour for 2010’s “Plastic Beach”, the album draws track titles and lyrics from various American locales, including Boston, Detroit, Seattle, and Phoenix. Though there are a few great tracks on “The Fall”, overall it isn’t nearly as focused as Gorillaz first two releases and to date the album has sold poorly.
‘Revolving Doors’ is a definite highlight that smartly layers a finely picked ukulele hook with a buzzy synth groove and danceable beats. ‘HillBilly Man’ is another spectacular concoction that moves from a gentle ukulele-based intro into a spaced out electro jam with cleverly sampled hip-hop vocal elements. Sadly, this vein mostly dries up on the rest of the album until “Amarillo” surfaces late in the game. The bulk of the tracks on “The Fall” are quasi-instrumental tracks that feel monotonous and lack clear hooks.
Considering the great work that Gorillaz has done in the past, a dud like “The Fall” can be forgiven, and though the collaboration between Albarn and Hewlett sputtered for a time, Albarn has left open the option for another album. Cross your fingers.
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For More Information Visit:
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http://www.gorillaz.com
