Gorillaz - Humanz Album Review
Seven years might seem a long time between albums, however, if your two creative protagonists (Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett) have somewhat of a major falling out in the interim, one of them reforms their original band (Blur), and decides to release their first album in twelve years (The Magic Whip), as well as an original solo album of his own (Everyday Robots), well, then time just flies. The impact, success and eclectic quality of Plastic Beach, Gorillaz last album proper (2010 also saw the release of the far less collaborative, 'The Fall') was hard to resist, The collaborations were inspired and the music mind blowingly creative.
The free exploration of any musical genre, where any idea is possible and where creativity and artistry is allowed to flourish is surely any musician's idea of heaven. Once again for the Gorillaz latest album, 'Humanz', Albarn is blessed by those he has teamed up with. I doubt there was any need to coerce any of the many artists who appear alongside Albarn on the latest Gorillaz incarnation because by now they all know what they were buying into. Humanz isn't just more of the same, largely because there isn't really anything that remains the same, but there is a bond, a cohesion and a vibe that runs through all of their music.
Albarn and Hewlett, now at peace following a post gig chat many years ago, have revived an artistic and creative anomaly and that has to be a good thing. Gorillaz may at times seem like a play thing, a project or just a musical folly that is an indulgence of its founders, but in reality it is so much more than that. Gorillaz music is always somehow of the moment, a social commentary on the larger social and economic realities of the world which is also something of a juxtaposition given that they're a virtual band! Musically too, Gorillaz not only beg, borrow and steal, they also adapt, re-invent, sample, re-shape and create new and exciting, artistic, intelligent music that melds so many different forms.
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