Review #7: Gorillaz

Gorillaz-“Demon Days”
(Virgin)
8 out of 10

Album cover links to Gorillaz' website and was nicked off Glide Magazine

Alright, Gorillaz are a cartoon band. Get your guffaws out before continuing, naysayers, because these self-proclaimed purveyors of “dark pop” ain’t the Archies. They are the elaborately crafted offspring of Blur lead singer Damon Albarn and “Tank Girl” artist Jamie Hewlett, and they are anything but Saturday morning kid-friendly fare. They are thickheaded cockney crooner 2-D, lady-killing middle-aged satanic bassist Murdoc, Japanese preteen prodigal kung-fu/guitar princess Noodle, and heavy-set American b-boy drummer Russel. Don’t expect anything Monkees-esque from these four deviants.

Many may remember Gorillaz from their 2001 hit “Clint Eastwood” off their self- titled debut, which was produced by Dan the Automator and had underground hip-hop legend Del Tha Funkee Homosapien as a reoccurring guest. That album was mostly Albarn tooling around in the studio between Blur projects, but dagnabbit, the result was irresistible. It also stemmed the classics “19-2000” (with Cibo Matto’s Miho Hattori sqealing about cool shoeshines), “5/4” and “Rock The House”. The theme was mostly peppy and upbeat, and it still puts a Grand Canyon-sized grin on my face to this day.

Now, drop Automator and Del and replace 90% of that album’s decadently fun experimentalism with pure darkness, and you have the brand-spankin’ new album “Demon Days”. To help Albarn through this scary dungeon of an album, DJ Dangermouse, the man responsible for the illegal Beatles/Jay-Z mashup hit “Grey Album”, takes up production duties. The results are staggeringly different, and although it doesn’t beat the overall catchiness of the debut, after a few listens, one may find it incredibly rewarding.

The arrival of Dangermouse has invariably changed the band’s sound. Whereas the debut focused on an overall more instrumental motif, Dangermouse brings a more electronic feel to this album. A prime case in point where this change has been incredibly beneficial is on the hectic electro-rock jam “O Green World”, where Albarn’s fuzzy voice is overshadowed by a series of jittery bleeps, bloops, screeches, and a rip-roarin riff from Verve guitarist Simon Tong, who’s become the primary guitar player on the album. Another electronic gem on the album is the oddly jubilant second single and pop anthem “DARE”, with features a pumping synth beat and slurred vocals from Happy Mondays singer Shaun Ryder.

You may have already heard the album’s first single, “Feel Good Inc.”, an international smash hit. Featuring a catchy rap verse from De La Soul, it is carried by a wicked bassline that gives way to a rolling acoustic guitar for the chorus, a memorable bit of windmill-related poetry from the beautiful voice of Albarn. De La Soul are not the only hip-hop act to attempt to replace Del. MF Doom drops the best verse on the album on “November Has Come”, the closest to “Clint Eastwood” that this album gets. Raspy Brit-rapper Roots Manuva appears alongside raspy songstress Martina Topley-Bird on the spooky “All Alone”. Pharcyde’s Booty Brown also makes an iffy appearance with the San Fernandez Youth Choir on the synth-heavy “Dirty Harry”.

For those looking for classic Damon moments on the album, he wails his English heart out on the superb “Last Living Souls” that, like “Feel Good Inc.”, goes from electronic to acoustic flawlessly. Albarn also offers a potential sneek peek of future Blur works with the wispy “El Maňana”.

The album gets extraordinarily odd during the last three tracks. On “Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey’s Head”, Dennis Hopper, yes, the actor, tells a bedtime story about a civilization destroyed by a mysterious race they had been apathetic towards. Although it’s not very musical, it’s still entertaining from a novelty standpoint. And to close out the album, “Don’t Get Lost In Heaven” and “Demon Days”, the London Community Gospel Choir makes an unfortunate appearance in a feeble attempt to bring a happy ending to an album that is better off left dark. The choir yells enthusiastically about sunlight and new beginnings in a performance that tries to divert from the cool, stealthy feeling that the listener should be deeply immersed in by now.

Noodle was once quoted as saying “Every great band is destroyed by their success. Cartoon bands are no exception.” Demon Days’ sick and twisted sound proves that Gorillaz themselves have without a doubt mutilated their images, leaving in their trail whole new pleasures of a less “light n’ fluffy” nature. Those lightweight little Saturday morning cartoon louts better watch their backs.

Key Tracks: "O Green World", "Last Living Souls", "Feel Good Inc.", "DARE", "November Has Come"