Enter Plastic Beach

It's difficult (almost impossible) to classify the music Gorillaz make. Is it rock? Is it hip-hop? Is it electronica? Actually all and none of these, but it's damn good. And you have the chance to enjoy it once again, as Damon Albarn's twisted faces have just released a new album, called Plastic Beach. It's their third studio album, their previous one, Demon Days, being released in 2005. A long waiting, I must say.

Plastic Beach has sixteen tracks (including the first single, Stylo, released on 26 January 2010). The idea of the title came to Albarn while he was standing on a beach next to his house and he was looking for the plastic within the sand. It features artists like De La Soul (with whom Gorillaz previously collaborated on Feel Good Inc.), Little Dragon, Snoop Dog, Mos Def or Lou Reed. The Horrors also have been invited by Albarn to record a track, after he heard Primary Colours, but they don't actually appear on the final version of the album. What a shame.

The first song on the album, Orchestral Intro, serves, as you probably have already guessed, as an introduction, and it features sinfonia ViVA. After a minute, you're passing to the next song, Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach, which is a three and a half minutes hip-hop piece with electronic touches, featuring Snoop Dog and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. White Flag opens with a flute sound, and continues with violins and tribal-like percussion, performed by The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Music, before turning again to hip-hop (Kano and Bashy make a really good job here). Through the end, it comes back to the sound from the intro, keeping at the same time the hip-hop beat.

Damon Albarn's voice (or 2D's, if you prefer), appears for the first time on Rhinestone's Eyes, which is a fascinating mix of fresh electronic sounds (my mind screams "SOS single", and I hope time will give me right). After that comes a track you already know, Stylo, that features Bobby Womack and Mos Def. I must say it's a great choice for a single. The voices fit almost perfectly and that bass effortlessly makes you shake your head. Superfast Jellyfish, the next song, a collaboration with De La Soul and Gruff Rhys, has already been announced as being the next single. Murdoc Niccals, the fictional Gorillaz member, described it in an interview as being "A lot of fun. If you turn it up loud enough all the colours start spilling and washing out of the speakers. You could flood your room with a track like this."

Empire Ants apparently uses samples from the theme music to Tomorrow's World. It features Little Dragon, an electronic Swedish band and its first part is one of the most peaceful moments on the album, with the second part becoming a bit louder. Glitter Freeze, next in line, has been recorded with Mark E. Smith, and ends the peacefulness, using chaotic electronic sounds. The phrase from the beginning, "Where's north from here?", was uttered by Smith himself, as he wanted to record his part facing north. Albarn liked it and included it on the song's final version.

Some Kind of Nature is another brilliant track. It is said that Lou Reed asked everyone to leave the studio while he was singing his part. But an important contribution to the track's brilliancy is brought by his voice. "Solid gold" as Murdoc commented. On Melancholy Hill amplifies the joyful touch that can be felt on Some Kind of Nature, turning itself in a perfect piece of pop. Broken is one of those songs you hear and enjoy, without knowing precisely why - it just works. Not the same thing can be told about Sweepstakes, which seems a little bit too much. Its instrumental is so chaotic that it becomes monotone; and I'd also say that the combination between Mos Def and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is not the most inspired.

Plastic Beach, the title track, brings in Mick Jones (yeah, that Mick Jones) and Paul Simonon (yeah, that Paul Simonon). No more comments are needed. To Binge brings back Little Dragon. On this one Yukimi Nagano's voice comes out even more powerfully that on Empire Ants, giving you the real measure of her talent. Cloud of Unknowing is a contemplative and emotional track, certainly one of the best on the album. The combination between Bobby Womack's voice and sinfonia ViVA almost brings tears to your eyes. The final song, Pirate Jet, comes as an epilogue to the story, with Damon Albarn singing "The plastic creating people", with a sound that reminds you about jazz music in the background.

This album will make you completely forgive Albarn for the fact he made you wait almost five years to release a new Gorillaz album. Because it's great. As one of his twisted faces, Murdoc, said "It's not a green record. It's not a judgement on the world. It's just a picture. Plastic Beach: it's another place, another way of looking at the world. And this is its soundtrack...."

*photo courtesy of Gorillaz official site