HUMANZ ALBUM REVIEW
The Gorillaz may possibly be one of the greatest bands of all time. There's so much thought put into this band, and that thought does not exist with any other artist in the music industry, and that's simply because the Gorillaz are not real. That's right, the Gorillaz are a virtual band fabricated by Blur's Damon Albarn and Tank Girl's Jamie Hewlett, after seeing how fabricated the mainstream artists of the "MTV Generation" were, and deciding that if music was going to fabricated, it should be from the ground up. Albarn makes the music. Hewlett designs the band members and animates the music videos. But of course, the Gorillaz would remain only to be an interesting concept of their music isn't good. So good thing is that's not the case. Their sophomore album, Demon Days, is a harrowing journey of living in a post-9/11 world, covering the war in Afghanistan, kids with guns, corruption, and rapping just not being what it used to be, man. They then somehow get better in 2010's Plastic Beach merging experimental pop with subtle environmentalism. So how does their newest album, Demon Days 2: Electric Boogaloo (or, as it is referred to in some circles, Humanz) fare?
Humanz begins with the erie introduction "I Switched My Robot Off", and right when it moves into the next track, one of the album's greatest strengths becomes present: its transitions. Gorillaz have always done a great job of transitioning from song to song to keep the momentum on an album going, and knowing when to break it, but never have they been as smooth and buttery than on Humanz.
While "I Switched My Robot Off" begins the album, the track "Ascension" is what kicks it off. It sets the tone of a party at the end of the world perfectly, especially with the chorus "The sky's falling baby drop that ass fore' it crash". Vince Staples takes the forefront of the song, and blends pretty well with the production, and what little of Albarn's voice that is on the track surprisingly works.
If "Ascension" sets up the overall sound of the album, then "Strobelite" solidifies it. Unfortunately, that sound has very little of Damon Albarn in it. Which inherently may not be a bad thing, but kills the illusion of the Gorillaz, if you close your eyes and listen to those earlier albums, you could see 2-D singing while playing the keyboard, Murdoc on bass, Noodle with her guitar, and Russel crashing on his drums. Humanz has very little of those sounds, and makes it seem much like Damon Albarn playing producer for a wide array of artists.
After the very contemporary "Saturn Barz", the album goes in a weird direction with the song "Momentz", which sounds more like something you would find on the soundtrack of Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa than a Gorillaz album. But the song itself does improve towards the end, and after a Steve Martin-inspired interlude, we reach the best track on the album: "Submission". It has a nocturnal-yet-vibrant sound via a trance-like bass, that is only improved by the additions of Kelela and Danny Brown. Unfortunately all that good will is brought to an utter halt with the track "Charger" it's monotonous and has no clear direction. When it does get better, it's at a point where you don't care just want the track to be over. Luckily, the next two tracks, "Andromeda" and "Busted and Blue" more than make up for "Charger". "Andromeda" is very ethereal, relaxed, and spacey, with Albarn, for the first time on the album, taking the lead. This feels like the first song that is genuinely Gorillaz. All in all, it's a wonderful song devoted to losing someone you love. With "Busted and Blue" we see breakaway from its nightclub sound entirely in something that is truly charming and melancholy. It's something the album really needed.
Unfortunately, the album continues its trend of "one step forward, two steps backwards" by introducing the mistake that is "Carnival". It's not nearly as obnoxious or annoying as "Charger", but it lacks any sense of direction and does not get any better. It's the most boring thing the band has ever produced. It's followed by "Let Me Out", which keeps you from losing all hope for the album (just some). It's nothing really spectacular, but it has a great energy, feels very grand, and reminds me of something that would be on Demon Days.
Some filler later, the album becomes worth listening again with "She's My Collar", which gives off this neo-gothic, romantic feel, and while still seductive, hurt, at the same time. It has a very dark atmosphere. Here, the album reaches a strong stride. The next track is "Hallelujah Money", featuring the always-welcome Benjamin Clementine. It's political, and is one of the few times on the album where the band stepping out of their comfort zone pays off. It's followed by "We Got the Power", a simple but joyful track, that although may seem cheesy, delivers a message that is definitely needed today.
After the simple, but catchy "The Apprentice", the album becomes nothing more than filler. But it doesn't go out on that note. No, it goes out much worse. It goes out with "Circle of Friendz" which is more directionless and more obnoxious and overall atrocious than both "Carnival" and "Charger" combined.
Humanz is a very complex album. Not so much technically or lyrically, but quality wise. It is the musical definition of mixed bag, but if there is one word that can truly summarize it, it is "disappointing". I hope the direction the band has gone with this album does not stay long at all, and while I would not recommend this Gorillaz fans, I would to someone that's really looking for a unique modern hip-hop record with lots of range. Unfortunately, there is a vast range of quality in this project, too. Gorillaz' Humanz is a 6 out of 10.
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆