GORILLAZ – ‘CRACKER ISLAND’
Release Date: 02/24/23
(PARLOPHONE/WARNER MUSIC)
The British virtual-band who are vets of uniquely
blending electro, rock, jazz, hip-hop, & pop music, make their post-Covid return & this 8th album's said to be heavily influenced by coastal
Latin America during their latest world tour.
Although a handful of the 1st few guests scream Los Angeles (Thundercat,
Stevie Nicks, the Pharcyde, Beck), I really do dig the opening title track’s energy. Catchy, creative, & thrives on
Thundercat's buzzy funk basslines & adlibs, introducing us to the idea of a
cult paradise island of refreshing enlightened music but you cannot leave &
will die here. 2nd single "New
Gold" flexes a catchy hook & Pharcyde's Bootie Brown rhymes well over the funky live drums, bass thumps, glimmery synthesizers &
organs. The stylishly retro "Tarantula"
is fun, playful City Pop/J-Pop keys & drums fitting into any yacht-rock
playlist. From how past collaborators De
La Soul flow all over the throwback D.A.ISY-Age, sunny hip-hop thumper "Crocadillaz"
it makes me miss the recently-passed Trugoy even more. The Beck-&-Damon Albarn duet "Possession
Island" meshes nice for a we're-all-in-this-together anthem &
an epic scope of plucked strings, violins, vibraphone, that psychadelic
Mellotron electro-piano, & the horn section at the end. Checking a box of 1 genre the Gorillaz hasn't
messed with yet, Reggaeton star Bad Bunny shows up on the wavy, mid-tempo
beachy tones of "Tormenta" affectionately rapping how
love is never perfect or easy, which will be a hit. Similarly, my favorite beat here of
rat-squeak effects & snapping snares, is bonus track "Controllah"
with Brazilian rapper MC Bin Laden spitting in Portuguese. Props also to giving their UK-African opening
act Adeleye Omotayoa a lead-vocal jam on the smoky neon-lit, chorus-heavy ode
to freedom "Silent Running".
I normally dig Del/the Hieroglyphics crew but "Captain
Chicken" kinda wastes an extremely groovy hard beat, just to feel
too jokey. A 2nd try at City Pop-Rock wasn't
as effective on the glossy, lower-tempo "Baby Queen",
where it's luminous pace & melancholy mood drags quickly. For songs like the extremely folksy "Skinny
Ape", where while Damon's vocals are emotional and I get the lullaby
chimes & slow bluegrass guitar, it is a bit basic & sleepy. Wasn't a fan either of "Oil", being minimalistic 80s indie-pop featuring Fleetwood Mac Stevie Nick's uncharacteristic lonely,
robotic vocals.
Very much a camouflaged loose concept project, yet one where most
grooves stand on their own also. While there's some
pacing issues here-n-there, I genuinely liked 9-of-13 songs. They still pull out some tricks to remain
refreshing; and unlike previous Gorillaz albums, it doesn't overly rely on the
impressive guest-lists as much. Just clear,
concise, creative, breezy-lofi-electro-pop-rock with feel-good energy and smooth emotional vocal performances.
