Here it is, ready or not, my comprehensive, no-holds-barred, unbiased review of the latest Gorillaz album release, Plastic Beach! (how’s THAT for a run-on sentence?) But seriously folks, I’m going to be straight with you… it’s… not quite as good as Demon Days (it flies as it swims!). If you can look past that though, I think you’ll still find an outrageously good album. So let’s do this track by track, how about? Okay, here we go!
Orchestral Intro: 4/5.
Does what it says on the tin, as the English say. A Western-sounding classical orchestral instrumental started by relaxing ocean sounds, birds and waves specifically. Very floaty and peaceful. Also has a sort of black-and-white movie feel to it… very nice.
Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach: 4/5.
Fades in quite well. Pretty standard beat with Snoop delivering lines in his casual style. Dramatic horns then cut in to punctuate. Damon’s synth voice backing gives a nice backdrop as well. Funky-smart. Something to groove to. Pretty typical Boss Dogg. Infectious beats, that set the standard for the rest of the album. Not a single, but still fun.
White Flag: 3/5.
Begins with more orchestral instrumentation, this time Syrian. Again, non-aggressive and easy to listen to. The middle-eastern flavor adds something different to the sound, and has a cool tempo. Then… we get rapping from Brits with a blippy beat. Not… super great, but enjoyable. The “waaah” electronic pop is always cool. Really though… it would probably be fine without the rapping… but that might just be me. Again, not really a single.
Rhinestone Eyes: 5/5.
Ah, what starts as a simple electronic beat goes into immediately catchy grooves, finally some guitar! Damon’s vocals are awesome, lyrics quite interesting, and… just great electronic rhythms and melodies. Possibly my favorite track. Modern music beauty. Flies like a robot in love with nature of the synthetic stream like electric waves of information and a wish for the past to not be so in love. What is it? Classic and new Gorillaz all at once. Highly recommended.
Stylo: 4.5/5.
Awesome, first single, check out the video. Another catchy electro-beat starts us off, melds into Mos Def rapping at his best. I dare you to not move in response to the groove! Anyhow, more excellent Damon vocals follow. A bit relaxed from the feel of “Feel Good, Inc.” but still somewhat similar. Bobby Womack wails quite convincingly. It makes me think of the color dark blue, with shiny edges. Beautiful. Must listen!
Superfast Jellyfish: 4/5.
First and only samples on the record. Feels like a cereal commercial, bites like a ray-gun. Wonky half-rap from De La Soul and Gruf Rhys (whoever that is). Just for fun really, but quite a good song despite it. Listen to the last minute or so, if rap isn’t really your thing. The robo-chipmunk vocals there are diverting.
Empire Ants: 3.5/5.
Feels like two songs in one. First half Damon, second the female vocalist from Little Dragon. A touch of the synthetic melodrama. Another great segue. More guitars? Almost. Pretty, floaty, what else? I guess that’s it, really. Hits hard halfway through, getting (a bit expected by now) more electronic and kinda… loud. It’s interesting enough, but not this album’s best. Think Moby meets Alan Parsons… and you’re in the neighborhood.
Glitterfreeze: 3.5/5.
Mark E. Smith, eh? Interesting… Mostly instrumental with some spoken thrown in. If you like electronic beats that are repetitive, but not enough so to actually annoy you, this song is great. Cool stuff, really. A bit Depeche Mode-esque, I suppose. Lasers are always nice to throw on a record in this day and age. Really, not bad at all. Robo-funk-dance-what?
Some Kind Of Nature: 4.5/5.
Jolly bouncing tune that it is… there’s really nothing bad about it that I can see, besides perhaps the length (too short for my liking). Lou Reed does excellent half-sung vocal work, and Damon backs it up well accordingly. Another very cool beat. Real piano? What’s that? Great, imaginative lyrics and just feels good to listen to. Highly recommended.
On Melancholy Hill: 4/5.
Surprisingly, not the most melancholic track. Feels… I don’t know… cute? A little. Tells the truth about modern days, without being too obvious or lecturing. Quite nice, really, like your friend who’s an occult fan… maybe. How can you have so many different electronic beats on one record that are all so good? It takes time, I’ll tell you that. Feels kinda Beatles somehow… from their more experimental period, naturally (Octopus’s Garden). Some of the percussion reminds me of Cyndi Lauper. Poppish, but also classic Albarn. Recommended.
Broken: 3/5.
Pretty much the same as the demo version, but with more lyrics. Not really impressive. Just Damon being himself, by himself, really. Does bring back the “Clint Eastwood” feel, which is nice. Organ. Doesn’t trudge, but doesn’t strut either. Pretty good lyrics, great singing (so echo!).
Sweepstakes: 2/5.
Uh oh. Okay, so this is a five-minute rap by Mos Def about… sweepstakes and carnival games. Probably the most disposable track. Repetitive, monotonous, and hard to find the fun in it. Say “boing” like… 50 times, and you’ve pretty much done the same song. That’s harsh, but… yeah, that’s how it is. Beat’s pretty good though. Could be cut back by about… I don’t know… 4 and a half minutes. At least two. Not unlistenable, but too… Spacemonkeyz to me. Avoid.
Plastic Beach: 5/5.
Excellent track. Half of the Clash on some of the instruments. Lyrics and singing great as usual. More guitar! Feels pretty Pink Floyd. Especially “Wish You Were Here”, but… like, taken over by robots and… Damon. Ooh, more cyborg chipmunks! Highly recommended.
To Binge: 3.5/5.
More of Empire Ants, if you liked that track. Beach Boys groove… I suppose. Maybe The Ventures, also. Beautiful vocals. Feels like the beach. Good intertwining of Damon and the female singer from Little Dragon. Artificial steel drum? Definitely decent.
Cloud of Unknowing: 4.5/5.
Bobby Womack lullaby of doom. Actually feels like a cloud… of unknowing! I mean, I’m not sure if I should be sad or hopeful from this track. Maybe both? I suppose that’s reality. Anyway, great performance here. A bit sparse, but most brilliant. Waves and seagulls introduce it. Very ocean (even has whale song!) Better than credits. Recommended.
Pirate Jet: 5/5.
Yet another great Damon-solo song. Doesn’t really sound like the last track, but it is. Bouncing blip-bop. Think Blur’s “Country Sad Ballad Man”. But… robotic. Then, more… well, less country. Really, quite great. Highly Recommended.
So there you have it, the new-and-somewhat-improved Gorillaz! It’s hard to find an utterly bad song on the disk, but really…. Sweepstakes… just… don’t listen to it. Forgetting that, it’s absolutely brilliant. Definitely into my Top Ten (I have a Top Thirty, so… yeah, it’s good). If you like Blur, Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons, Gorillaz (obviously), The Clash, The Beatles, or Depeche Mode, this might be a good album for you to hear. Definitely not a waste of time, at any rate. And who knows? You might end up liking it. So… yes, very good stuff. Sometimes 15 tracks are still not enough…
Overall Rating: 4.5/5.
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