While many bands use the length of time between releases as a gimmick garnered to gain attention to their release date, Gorillaz have waited seven years between the heavyweight Plastic Beach and the augmented The Fall and their latest release. For what it's worth, even if we waited a million years, nothing aside from the glory of the album will eclipse its grand accomplishments.
At twenty-six tracks the record looks like a handful at first glance, and that it certainly is. While there's plenty of interludes between songs, they're hardly noticeable and can be skipped without impacting the weight of the tracks, like most records that are littered with as many breaks between songs. Saturnz Barz" is the first highlight, featuring Popcaan's incredible flow to make one of the strongest tracks on the album. But what happens on the second half of the release is absolutely stunning. "She's My Collar" features Kali Uchis' warm coo, and instantly kicks off a spree of incredible deep cuts that catapult the act to new heights. "We Got The Power," "Out Of Body," and the album heartthrob "The Apprentice," all explore a variety of sounds with big personalities catering to the voices of the characters. Even the interlude "New World" morphs the audio experience into a mental muse. It's obvious that a ton of work went into curating this track list, and not one bit of detail is found out of place.
While it feels like it's been a hundred years since " Clint Eastwood," it's unfortunate that's still the track that people most commonly associate with the band. It's also crucial to keep in mind that it's 2-D on vocals and Russel on drums, and not Albarn and an iPad. The entire package makes up for one of the strongest releases in years, and shouldn't be overlooked by anyone who has ever said they listen to a little bit of everything. This one is it.
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