Gorillaz - "The Now Now"

Gorrilaz is the longtime Alternative Rock and Hip-Hop project of Jamie Hewlett and of course Blur's Damon Albarn.  Gorillaz first arrived on the scene in 2001 with their self-titled album and exploded as one of the Alternative Hip-Hop scene's freshest new faces.  There were massive hits like "Clint Eastwood" and "Tomorrow Comes Today" that made the band an instant success.  But overall the very glitzy and dreary vibes of this album, alongside a sense of humor and the band's cartoonish charm made this one to remember.  Now, this debut album is a little long winded being well over an hour.  But it's a great introduction to the Gorillaz sound.  However, Gorillaz took their sound one step further with 2005's "Demon Days".  This album contained more Rock influences, catchier hooks, solid guest spots, and an overall seriously sleekness to it that I couldn't say no to.  And it wasn't just me, this album became an instant classic that everyone was talking about. From "DARE" which is funky enough to get even me out the dancefloor to the hypnotic "Kids With Guns", this album had impeccable range and deserves every one of its accolades. Gorillaz continued to be the wonderful fusion of Alternative Rock and Hip-Hop we deserve on 2010's "Plastic Beach".  This was a glamorous album filled with more guests than ever as well as stunningly beautiful production.  Tracks like "Stylo" and "Rhinestone Eyes" proved they could still write catchy and lovable hits. But even the more deep cuts here like "Empire Ants" and "Some Kind Of Nature" were just so solid.  And with guest slots that varied from Snoop Dogg to The Clash's Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, this was just a wonderful celebration of numerous different musical stylings.  Gorillaz sort of returned later that year with "The Fall", and like most people, I would really rather forget about this album.  This was written by Damon Albarn on tour, and he recorded it on tour on his iPad so the legend goes.  And to be honest, you can tell  The production on this album is often tinny and atrocious, and this doesn't even come off like a Gorillaz album.  It just sounds like Damon screwing around most of the time.  We wouldn't hear from Gorillaz again for 8 years.  And when we did, it was absolutely the biggest disappointment of 2017, "Humanz".  Ok so let me just preface this by saying, when this album has a good moment, it's really good.   "Submission", "Saturnz Barz", "Ascension", "Charger" are all great, and "Let Me Out", was one of the best singles of 2017.  There are awesome features from Pusha-T, Danny Brown, Vince Staples, Kelela, and so many more.  But whatever "Humanz" is, it's not a Gorillaz album, not even close.  This album is muddled with so many features that it sounds like a "whose who" of the alternative Rap world.  Which once again, sounds awesome.  But half the time Damon's presence isn't felt, and between that and the Dozens of filler tracks and ridiculous interludes, this was such a snoozer.  So Gorillaz are back, less than a year later with a new album.  And while none of these teaser tracks have blown me away, they certainly sound more in line with where the band should be right about now.  Let's chat about it.

(A personal favorite of mine!)

This album starts out with “Humility” featuring the legendary George Benson, and it’s a ridiculously sunny, cheery Pop sound.  And honestly, I don’t mind it much at all.  Damon here sounds refreshed, and like he’s actually writing some legitimate Pop hooks.  It’s not the catchiest track, and fuck if I’m going to remember this 6 months from now.  But for a few short minutes, I feel like Damon picks up a whole lot of the songwriting her completely dropped on “Humanz”.  Now, as far as a straight up SynthPop tune goes, it may just be the closest to a legitimate Synth Pop sound that Gorillaz have ever touched.  But Damon pulls it off with positive vibes and a solid instrumental.  Honestly, “Humility” isn’t bad at all.  This album rolls on with “Tranz” and continues down the road of a much more straightforward Synth Pop sound.  Which, honestly, really isn’t bad. I mean, I would rather listen to anything here than anything on “The Fall”.  Not to mention, I do feel like Damon continues to remember how to write a legitimate song.  This one is seriously catchy and ends up practically being an anthem by its chorus.  And I actually really love the sort of haunting feel to it as well.  I’ll be honest, I don’t hate “Tranz” at all.  The very sunny feeling has carried over from the intro as well.  And while no, this isn’t the best Synth Pop I’ve heard all year, Damon and company sound confident, and the production remains super lush.  Meanwhile, “Hollywood” featuring Snoop Dogg and Jamie Principle has a low-key funk to it that would have landed nicely on “Plastic Beach”.  Here, if only for a few minutes, we actually get a glimpse of what once made Gorillaz so great.  We have this true blend of Rap, Rock, and Dance, and it all comes off glistening and genuinely quirky.  And while Jamie’s contributions to this track are alright at best, Snoop actually makes the best of his verse.  But he’s had some chemistry with Damon in the past, so I can’t be too shocked.  So far, I really don’t have anything bad to say.  This may not have the same punch as anything on “Demon Days”, but these at least sound like Gorillaz tracks. But the train of positive vibes comes to a screeching halt with “Kansas”.  This one is just so much more sluggish, and Damon here sounds so awkward that I can’t even begin to tell you.  There was a time where Gorillaz could come off with a slower tune that worked, like “El Mañana” or “Up On Melancholy Hill”.  But with “Kansas”, Damon sounds completely bored and practically inhuman.  The more downtrodden synths aren’t nearly as likable or instantaneous, and the rest of this track is just so boring.  And sadly, this isn’t the only time I’m going to be saying that.

Thankfully though, tracks like “Sorcererz” do keep me awake.  Damon continues to have completely sold his soul to the synthesizer.  Which honestly, so far has been doing him some good.  This one is much less cheery and positive than the first few moments.  As a matter of fact, there’s a deep sorrow to this one, even more than the last track.  But Damon sounds totally confident here I love his very groovy performance, however, moods as he gets.   I’m actually pretty shocked with just how decent this track comes off.  But even at this album’s best, where is that wonderful personality?  But all hell breaks loose with “Idaho”, where Damon chucks the synths out the window for an actual Acoustic ballad.  And trust me, it’s just as awkward and horrible as you can imagine.  Once again, Damon in the past has written a totally viable dreary tune.  But “Idaho” isn’t one of them, not even close.  As a matter of fact, this is easily the most cringe-worthy track of the bunch.  Damon sounds fine in singing, but if you’re going to sit there and tell me this is a Gorillaz track and not another Damon Albarn vanity project, I’m gonna disagree. This track is painful.  But I’ll be damned if some of these tracks like “Lake Zurich” are freakin’ sharp.  This one here is one of the best of the bunch, with a fantastic Synth line and some well-needed funk.  And get this, some fun too.  That’s right, when was the last time I said that with a Gorillaz track.  This album may have started out sunny and positive, but it’s become so dreary.  So yea, hearing this legitimately funky tune is an absolute treat.  There are some really fantastic percussion bits, and I honestly don’t mind that this one is more or less an extended instrumental.  Not to mention, of all of the tracks here, this one has some of the more obvious production quirks of James Ford, and I mean that in the best way.  Hell, you can argue that “Lake Zurich” has more of a Gorillaz feel than 90% of this album.  And trust me, this album’s very pristine production hasn’t sounded better this entire time.   But then Damon follows that up with an absolute stinker like “Magic City”.  Instrumentally, I don’t completely hate this, it has a lot of the quirkiness and animated feel of early Gorillaz tracks.  But Damon once again is trying so hard to give us this heartfelt ballad and comes off like he really doesn’t give a shit.  I have practically nothing to even say about “Magic City”.  This is what Gorillaz have come to, having barely anything to say about some tunes.  And it’s a shame because I actually do really love some of Damon’s very surreal lyrics on this one. 

With “Fire Flies” we get yet another downtrodden, gloomy SynthPop tune.  But man, this one really isn’t too much better.  Thankfully though, I do actually enjoy the instrumental here.  I may be sluggish, but at the very least it does have that very animated feel I’ve been missing.  Not to mention, there are some actually emotional moments here.  Hell, I’m really not even that pissed with Damon’s performance, as his very bluesy performance here gives this some human vibes to it.  Not to mention, it actually sounds like Damon was interested in recording this one.  This is still far from the Gorillaz album I wanted to hear, but some of these tunes don’t have the worst ideas in the world. But by this point, I really don’t want to hear yet another gloomy track.  But that’s what we get with “One Percent”.  Once again, Damon actually does sound emotionally invested in this, which I can’t even tell you how happy I am to say.  But everything else about this track is genuinely depressing outside of a few cool synth lines  The production is fine, and the very whimsical feel is fine.  But this isn’t a Gorillaz album, not even close. But at the very least, for one final stripped down moody ballad, “Souk Eye” has some really quirky production choices I’m totally into.  Not to mention, I can’t remember the last time on this album that Damon sounded this legitimately interested in what was going on.  Not to mention, we get this very playful and sweet instrumental that’s actually really fun.  “The Now Now” is a very strange album, with Damon often at his most somber and moodiest.  And not, that’s not something I’m totally against.  And hell, this track even ends off with some elements of Dance.  Where the hell was that?  Where has this sound been?  Why are we just hearing this now? 

Rating: 7.3/10

Give A Listen To: “Humility”, “Hollywood”, “Sorcererz”, “Lake Zurich”

Least Favorite Track: “Idaho”

Genre: Synth-Pop 

Overall Thoughts: Damon and the crew return with an album that’s a whole lot more Gorillaz than whatever “Humanz” was last year.  And in a whole lot more instances, I feel like Damon has remembered how to write legitimate tunes.  But it also seems like Damon has completely taken on a much more Synth-Pop based sound.  Which no, isn’t terrible.  But it leads to a great number of very moody, gloomy, and straight up boring tracks.  In a weird way, I feel like if you took the best tracks off of here, with the best tracks off of “Humanz" you would have really gotten something special and truly memorable.  And no, this isn’t a Gorillaz album through and through.  But Damon here sounds like he’s slowly getting on the right track, writing some catchy tunes, and starting from scratch.