Innovation may work for some artists...but only if they use it correctly. We've all seen (or heard) performers switch up their styles for something totally out of left field...and for the most part, they make it work. Others leave fans wondering, "What the Hell were they thinking?" GORILLAZ falls somewhere between both ends of the spectrum. Plastic Beach, the latest effort from this "virtual band", has some really interesting points, especially when it comes down to collaborations done with live orchestras. Unfortunately, there were a few songs that I personally didn't enjoy because they were all over the map sonically.
Created by Damon Albarn of the Britpop band Blur, GORILLAZ exploded onto the scene in 2001 with the eponymous debut album which spawned the single Clint Eastwood. It was then that the music industry (at least in America) saw something totally different and refreshing. Four years later the sophomore album Demon Days was released featuring the Top Twenty hit Feel Good, Inc. Two amazing songs, and plenty more, have gone on to reach higher status on charts worldwide. So now what does GORILLAZ have in store for us?
I mentioned earlier live orchestration...well, Plastic Beach contains track which feature the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, as well as The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music (Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach, White Flag, and Sweepstakes, respectively). Absolutely amazing...I've always been a stickler for Middle Eastern music and string and brass instruments...and these songs don't fail my appetite for things Classical. With this album, you will get a melting pot of guest appearances from artists like Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Bobby Womack, De La Soul, and others. The melodies found in songs like Rhinestone Eyes, Glitter Freeze featuring Mark E. Smith, and Empire Ants featuring Little Dragon are truly mesmerizing...but when it comes to songs like To Binge featuring Little Dragon and Some Kind of Nature featuring Lou Reed, I have to honestly skip ahead. These songs are so spasmodic it actually becomes increasingly difficult to listen because there doesn't seem to be a definitive score for the song...the melodies are (for a lack of a better word) schizophrenic.
Regardless, I still enjoyed the Plastic Beach for what it is. GORILLAZ have always made music that made me smile...doesn't necessarily mean that I have to like every single track. Fans and those interested alike won't be disappointed.
Song that I Enjoyed from Plastic Beach:
• Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach featuring Snoop Dogg and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble
• Stylo featuring Mos Def and Bobby Womack
• Superfast Jellyfish featuring Gruff Rhys and De La Soul
• Broken
• Pirate Jet
From GORILLAZ' new album "Plastic Beach", here's the song "Rhinestone Eyes..."
From the same album, here's the song "White Flag" featuring Bashy, Kano, and The Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music...
GORILLAZ featuring Bobby Womack and Mos Def
Stylo
From the Plastic Beach album
Directed by Jamie Hewlett
(5.00)
COPYRIGHT PROTECTED.
Written by Felix-Lee "Campbells" Andrades, III
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