Reviews

Gorillaz

Demon Days

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Review Date: 2005-04-28

Remember "Clint Eastwood" by the Gorillaz? When that song came out it was so much different than the majority of stuff that was being released. Here was this animated music group with music that included a mish-mash of styles and somehow it managed to connect with everybody. That song was a massive hit, it didn't matter wha type of music you normally liked. That album went on to be a huge success, and Dan "The Automator" became a recognizable name. Four years after the release of that album, and minus Dan "The Automator" (who many would argue was the driving force behind the band's sound) it was easy to stick a fork in the group as a one album band. Not so fast.

Damon Albarn of Blur fame has rallied the remaining troops and enlisted a juggernaut production master in Danger Mouse (of the Jay-Z/Beatles mash up fame) to fill in for Dan "The Automator". When I heard about this project I kinda shook my head. My opinion was that although the first album was very good, the time of the Gorillaz had passed by. Furthermore without the same lineup it seemed like a cash grab. Again not so fast. The new album "Demon Days" which is due out May 24 is far from stale. The album has a more complicated sound, a darker sound, and in my opinion is a far more ambitious recording. At times using a choir and doing it effectively, other times making really bizarre sounding hip-hop songs, or even on what more or less amounts to a spoken word song the Gorillaz impress. And though I hate to say it, DJ Danger Mouse tops Dan "The Automator" and to me it is no contest. With the entire remainder of the band being the same, and yet the sound being that much more elaborate and enjoyable on this album you have to give the credit where it is due, and that is to DJ Danger Mouse.

A psychotic laugh is the opening to the lead single "Feel Good Inc" which combines an addictive club style beat, hip-hop verses, and a excellently sung chorus by Damon into what is bound to be a successful lead single. But it isn't just a good single, this is also one of the better songs on the album. Listening to it without some part of your body starting to move, and soon the rest of it following just isn't going to happen. Don't be tricked though this isn't really a dance song, or at least that isn't the goal. It is just a good song in general with such an interesting beat, and combination of styles that you just lose yourself to it. De La Soul makes an appearance on the track throwing down the rap verses, and since they are one of the best rap bands to ever be they don't disappoint. Definitely a good way to re-emerge on the music scene for the Gorillaz.

Coincidentally the day after Brandon's review of MF Doom's latest album is posted I am boasting about a Gorillaz track featuring him called "November Has Come". This might be the darkest sounding song on the album. The beat is deep, and a bit spooky in the way it is created. With a pounding slow methodical bass that sounds like it explodes and is combined with an out of tune keyboard sound. MF Doom spits his verses with authority, in that same kinda slow methodical style of the beat. Damon's chorus has a kinda whimsical but depressing tone to it. Like he is on the ropes, and doesn't have much hope left. The crazy sound effects used for ambience just add to this song. This beat actually is the closest one in my opinion to the first album.

You've likely been waiting to hear about the fucked up spoken word style song which is called "Fire Coming Out A Monkey's Head". But before I get into that lets talk about this beat. The beat has a kinda bouncey bass in the background, it hits the ground as bass and then springs back up with a boing noise, two guitar notes are repeated again and again throughout and a haunting horror movie like piano part is added as well. Throughout that entire time this dude is telling you a story about a town where people known as happy folk lived, and they had a great life and were in harmony with a spirit in a mountain called monkey, and one day they were invaded. Damon has a great chorus here, which is the highlight of the album for me. When he says "Now everybody dancing, the dance of the dead, the dance of the dead" and I just heard it I know I am sentenced to hearing it again and again for days. The story picks back up and the invasion isn't going well, the strange folk pillaged the mountain and take the jewels. The Happy Folk was getting darkness brought in their lives, as the mountain was being destroyed and that soon the monkey in the mountain would awake from its deep sleep. And then the Monkey awakes and a volcano happens and everyone is dead. Crazy shit eh?

I'll end with the second last track "Don't Get Lost In Heaven". This song is perfectly placed right after the song I just described. This has almost a Polyphonic Spree style to it. Damon is whimsically singing in a bit more upbeat voice than on the other songs. This song is about the aftermath in heaven after the fire comes out of the monkey's head. Damon is accompanied by a group of background singing females, and a background that obviously is supposed to sound angelic as it is in heaven. It is kinda just some static, some sound effects, and a touch of piano. Some people will likely post and say this song is "gay", and you know what that it is an ok to describe it. It sounds like what people always unintelligently refer to as "gay". I personally like the song, especially in the context of the album.

This is one of those times talking about a handful of songs sells the album short. I am listening to a song called "White Light" right now which I adore and is the hardest rocking song on the album but I digress. This album drops in less than a month and I give it a big stamp of approval. I'll definitely be getting it on the release date. For those of you who liked the first album, this second is considerably better. I say that with the utmost confidence. If you still throw that album in the stereo from time to time buy this one without so much as a worry. You will like it. Front to back this album succeeds, and does so while keeping true to the sound of the original album, but while showing obvious growth in the scope of the album. This evil genius type colloboration that is the Gorillaz hopefully will keep going from here and not make us wait another 4 years because they have something special.

Songs you should download: "Dirty Harry", "Feel Good Inc", "Every Planet We Reach is Dead", "November Has Come", "White Light", "Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head", "Don't Get Lost in Heaven"

Score: 9

This album deserves all the praise it is going to get. I hope that they have enough name recognition so that this music makes it out to a decent number of people. If not though, I won't mind having it to myself.

- Dan