Ok so before we get things rolling, no I’m not talking about the interludes, I really feel like all 6 or so of them did a grand total of nothing. And while we’re at it, no I’m not talking about the bonus tracks either. Good? Good! This album starts off with “Ascension” featuring the great Vince Staples. After the kind of pointless opening skit this track certainly escalates quickly. And I have to admit it’s pretty eye opening hearing this album go for nothing to hear Vince blast into a verse right off the bat. As far as Vince’s performance goes, he’s just as hard hitting and brutally honest as he usually is, not to mention his energy is more on point than ever. Lyrically, this is a little bizarre and almost a little TOO much of a banger for a Gorillaz track, but that doesn’t mean I’m not bumping to this. However, this also leads me to my first real issue here, there’s almost no Gorillaz on this track at all except for Damon Albarn’s short few lines. Outside of that, this sounds like a Vince Staples track with some more colorful production. Overall, this is certainly a very exciting intro, but I wish there was a little more of a Gorillaz vibe here. However, that hectic beat is exciting, and the gospel vocals on the chorus make everything pop so much nicer. “Strobelite” is up next featuring Peven Everett. Now this is a little more along the lines of what you would expect to hear on a Gorillaz album. It’s the usual very colorful blend of pop and rap and alternative rock as well as dance, and it comes off alright. Not great, but alright. Now Peven Everett does fine in his performance, his vocals certainly come off very soulful and jazzy. But to be honest, for me this comes off just a little weird. Usually, Gorillaz albums as varied as they are usually have one constant feel or atmosphere. And going into this, I knew that the thought behind this was that this was a “Playlist for the end of the world”. But this certainly doesn’t even come off anywhere near that. Plus, I just think as far as this sound goes for Gorillaz, I’ve heard countless more playful and funkier tracks from Gorillaz. The grooves here are nice and it does stick with you. But outside of that I’m not feeling this at all. “Saturnz Barz” is up next, featuring Popcaan. Now, let me just say right off the bat that I’m FAR from a Popcaan fan and I really haven’t heard too many tracks that I’ve enjoyed his presence on. But that being said, I think this track is seriously very good. “Saturnz Barz” sticks with the very melancholy, very gloomy Trip-Hop mood that Gorillaz have always worked so well with. I love the very dark beat on this one and the almost cheesy synths, it all works so well together. Popcaan’s performance here sounds actually refreshing against this beat that’s clearly a little left of what he’s usually on, I can certainly get into the dark reggae/dancehall vibe to this one. While this track is obviously a whole lot slower and less explosive, the performances come off so well. Even Damon Albarn’s chorus here comes out perfectly. Some of the vocal effects on his later verse come off actually really twisted and brilliant. But you see, what makes this track work is the formula. This is JUST the right of balance between Gorillaz influence and their guests performance. It shouldn’t be all about the features, it should be about the coming together of all of these genres and styles clashing in a beautiful way. Which is eventually which leads to this album’s downfall, but we’ll get to that. “Momentz” is up next, and this track I was seriously looking forward too since it’s featuring De La Soul. Gorillaz and De La Soul have always had such wonderful chemistry and have always come together so seamlessly. And to be honest, De La Soul aren’t even the problem here, they actually sound full of energy and exciting. But oh my LORD, the production here is beyond muddy and horrible, and this beat is just seriously questionable. I get that Gorillaz on this one were going for a more heavy hitting beat, but this is just about the furthest thing from the way to do it. The high pitched vocals that eventually pop in just come off seriously obnoxious, and by the time the autotune comes in I’m ready to throw in the towel altogether. “Momentz” is not a good collaboration at all, and once again there’s seriously not a Gorillaz influence in sight. “Submission” however was a collaboration I knew from miles away would be a home run. This track features Danny Brown and Kelela, and these two have always had such amazing chemistry. Kelela right off the bat really sounds right at home on this very gloomy alternative hip hop beat. She’s always worked the best in these sort of atmosphere’s, and here is no different. She sounds fantastiv, and the group choir vocals behind her once again come off fantastic. It’s moments like this that I feel like their “Playlist for the end of the world” comes off brilliant. But once again, I don’t know about you, but the lack of a serious Gorillaz feel is a little concerning for me. Like, this could have easily been on the last Danny Brown album OR Kelela’s. Anyways! Danny’s verse here comes off just as blaring and animated and off the walls that you would expect from him by now, and it brings just enough life to this very gloomy atmosphere.
The next leg of our Gorillaz journey is “Charger” featuring Grace Jones. All I can say is, FINALLY we’re getting just a touch of rock influence in that beat. And while Grace Jones’ part isn’t gigantic, she fits the part masterfully here. This is another really great example of a real true collaboration here. Grace here simply compliments Gorillaz, as Damon Albarn is finally the star for a few minutes. But that fact alone is so weird, because at this point we’re 6 tracks in. I like the very harsh beat here as well. While I do usually like the very gloomy atmosphere, this is a fine addition to the album that breathes just enough of life into the instrumentals. This one has a seriously sinister feel to it which I can’t get enough of, so hell yea this one works nicely. Now, up next we have a HUGE let down for me. “Andromeda” was a track that I couldn’t wait to hear, mostly because I was interested to see how they would collaborate with D.R.A.M. Now, D.R.A.M. I’ve always been very iffy on, but one thing that I’ve always been sold on is his personality and just how animated her is (No pun intended). Leading up to this album, I felt like his bounciness and personality would have done so well on this album. And I do certainly like the very colorful, bouncy beat here, it’s certainly a nice change of pace. Also, I do like how very up front Damon is on this track. But everything else here falls apart really quickly. While I do like the bouncy synths and the pop appeal here, there aren’t any really memorable lines or a catchy chorus in sight. THEN, we have D.R.A.M.’s performance, and lets be honest you can BARELY even tell that it’s him. Listening to this you literally would have thought Gorillaz just got some session musician in to sing a hook. So no, “Andromeda” isn’t very good at all. Damon Albarn can certainly write great pop tunes, but this isn’t one of them. “Busted and Blue” is up next, and get this, there isn’t a feature in sight. We’re right back to a very gloomy sound, and I honestly got so excited listening to this to hear Gorillaz on their own within this atmosphere. Now, to be honest, as far as that “Playlist for the end of the world” sound goes, this is actually the closest thing to that that I’ve heard so far. No, this isn’t an exciting pop tune by any means. But come on, Damon’s performance here sounds so hurt and broken sown and exhausted. The group vocals that come in to back him up give this track a seriously haunting vibe and the atmosphere on this one just engulfs me. This isn’t nearly as flashy as the rest of the album, but this is certainly a great example of how sometimes less is more. “Carnival” up next features Anthony Hamilton, and we’re right back to the sound that’s dominated most of this album. That sound is more of the same moody alternative rap which Gorillaz have mastered by this point. And while I really don’t MIND Anthony Hamilton’s performance, I think he honestly nails it, I feel like the rest of this track is quite frankly boring. It’s not even that, I just feel like I’ve heard this same song three other times on here. At the end of the day, “Carnival” just comes off as more of the same with the same sort of gloomy atmosphere. But once again there’s almost no Gorillaz influence in sight. Thankfully though, Gorillaz come through with the track that I’ve been desperate to hear for a very long time, “Let Me Out”. This one features the great Mavis Staples and the always exciting Pusha T. Pusha always has so much energy to him, such an urgency in his delivery that he can light up any track the moment he arrives, and that’s what he does here. “Let Me Out” has the same sort of moody beat to it, but Pusha and Mavis Staples’ incredibly soulful performance lighten this one up and make it really different. As far as I’m concerned, this is THE track of the album in so many ways. Not only does this contain a handful of the most charismatic performances on the entire album, but it also sums up every feeling and theme on the album in a seriously interesting way. If this album was THIS exciting for it’s entirety, this album would have been an instant classic.
Let me just say that the last few tracks here for the most part seriously disappointed me. As if this album already didn't feel like a Gorillaz album, we get "Sex Murder Party" featuring Jamie Principle and Zebra Katz. At this point, all I really even have to say is "oh how the mighty have fallen". I don't really know if this was supposed to be a tongue in cheek attempt at a club banger, but it's neither funny or a banger. It's honestly one of the most boring tracks I've heard here. Let's talk about this beat first of all. I know beats like this are a little repetitive, but come on this seriously get's boring withing 20 seconds, EASILY. Then we have these features, and boy oh boy I can't remember a single interesting moment from either one of them. Damon sounds OK and all, but that's about it. This track is the epitome of everything that's bad about this album. Once again, there's only slight Gorillaz influence in Damon's verse, but outside of that let's be honest this sounds like a joke track that really isn't that funny. "She's My Collar" is up next featuring Kali Uchis, and at the very least this one has a little punch to it. Compared to the last track or so, it's refreshing to hear a track like "She's My Collar" with a little structure to it, and I'm glad to hear Damon back at the forefront. But while this track has an atmosphere and a nice groove, I feel like this is just too little too late. It's alright and all, but honestly this album up until now has been so all over the place, that at this point one alright sounding track is going to do so little for me. However, I do have to give kudos to Kali's performance which is seriously really solid. Up next is, oh boy, "Hallelujah Money" featuring Benjamin Clementine. Altogether this track was just a gigantic let down. I like the very gloomy and slow atmosphere, but I feel like Clementine's performance is seriously beyond underwhelming. I get what Gorillaz were going for, and I like little details here like the choir vocals. But outside of this, of all of the singles released from this album, this is by far the most underwhelming. So much so, that I my sheer dislike of "Hallelujah Money" made me appreciate this album's finale even more. Now, when it comes to the finale, "We Got The Power", I'm not saying I actually dig this track. BUT, compared to the boring previous track "We Got The Power" has some nice energy at least. But this track's biggest flaw is that it features the amazing Jehnny Beth of Savages in a sunshine positive pop environment, and the results are BIZARRE. Yes, it's a catchy track, but that's about all I have to say about this one.
Rating: 6.7/10
Give A Listen To: “Ascension”, “Saturnz Barz”, “Submission”, “Let Me Out”
Overall Thoughts: Um, what even happened here? Gorillaz haven't been seen from or heard from in years, and this is what we get for waiting patiently? Don't get me wrong, tracks like "Let Me Out" and "Saturnz Barz" are brilliant. But most of this album doesn't even come off like a Gorillaz album. Gorillaz album's used to be about the coming together or collaborators with the music of Gorillaz for this very colorful and lovable combination. THIS comes off like a whose who of alternative rap and other genres coming together for a mixtape or a compilation with Damon Albarn popping in occasionally. Disappointment my friends.
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