Gorillaz [ECD] [PA] - Gorillaz > Reviews > A Mixed Bag

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money

Advantages:	Well produced, highly original and inventive, the excellent multimedia section
Disadvantages:	the album loses itself in the middle with obvious fillers

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Perhaps the finest single of the year thus far has been released by Gorillaz, 'Clint Eastwood' appealed to both rock, pop and hip hop fans alike and this culminated in a top 5 position for the track, a rarity for good songs nowadays. The song itself was good, but even better was the idea behind the band.. they were imaginary.. a cyber band if you wish. The video was great, and the the brains behind the Gorillaz are seen as amongst the finest musicians in the world today.. Damon Albarn from Blur fame, Deltron 3030 and Dan The Automator. Yes, the song was fantastic, but the real test would lie in the production of an album.

A couple of weeks ago, the self entitled 'Gorillaz' was released with mixed reaction. It is true that 'Clint Eastwood' is easily the best track, but this doesnt mean that the album itself is poor, this is not the case at all, it is just that 'Clint Eastwood' really is that good. The album starts positively with the excellent 'Re-Hash'.. an easy to sing along to ditty that proves to be an ideal start to the album. Next up is '5-4' which with Albarns vocals and the overall production, sounds very similiar to many tracks on the last 'Blur' album - '13'.. but then this is one of the main features of the album.. Albarns influences are definitely there for all to hear.

The album starts well, but for some reason starts to wander in the middle with a few obvious fillers, but then you reach track 11 - '19-2000' which is incidentally the next single. In my opinion it is probably the 2nd best track on the album, and it is also the trigger for the album to improve once again.. with the last couple of tracks being amongst the best on the entire album.

Dan The Automators production throughout the album is as esquisite as always, and Del The Funky Homosapean performs whenever he is called upon, though this is only on the previously mentioned 'Clint Eastwood' and 'Rock Da House'.. It is true that Albarns vocals are the main drive though, and for this reason, the album is a must for all Blur fans. Infact its a must for the majority of music fans, dont expect it to live up to expectation, but do expect a thoroughly original album which experiments and tries to evolve the genre.