Album Review: GORILLAZ – Humanz

7/10

Album Review: GORILLAZ – Humanz

It is safe to say that Gorillaz are back. After 7 years since their previous album The Fall, it is safe to say that Humanz provides us with the same sound that was produced back in 2005 with chart topping Demon Days. “It’s America that made Gorillaz,” Damon Albarn recently said. The animated band’s four albums have sold 16 million copies worldwide – which is more than Blur – and this could be seen because of America’s warm embrace to them as an animated band.

What Humanz, brings back to us is a variety of collaborative artists from many generations in their own careers from Popcaan (Jamaican DJ/singer songwriter) to Anthony Hamilton (Grammy Award winning R&B singer-songwriter, and record producer). Albarn explained that before each contributor was asked to commit to the new album that they were all asked the same question: “Imagine a night where everything that you believed in was turned on its head. How would you feel?” Regardless of the answer given, the collaborations were required to convey “pain, joy, and urgency”. All of which they do. What can be seen, is that this album, is about the world converging and trying to get to grips with the turmoil that is happening within it and trying to come out the other side of the turmoil feeling better from it. Whether in the world it may be.

This can be seen in, Momentz (featuring well known collaborative hip hop trio De La Soul who were on Feel Good Inc back in 2006) provides us with look into what Humanz is all about, that we need to look back on our human existence and remind ourselves what it is all about “It’s that moments we achieve, best believe it’s the moments”.

What Humanz also shows us is there are live elements incorporated into the album – or to which they want us to believe – especially within We Got The Power (ft. Jehnny Beth). In this track Albarn puts aside his Britpop rivalry with Noel Gallagher and accompanies Savages Jehnny Beth to prove to us all that no matter what we all go through it’s the power of the people and largest majority that will change this world for the better.

However, all though Humanz is filled with its many intros and interludes I believe it has too many collaborations going on and that Albarn should produce what he knows he can do on his own by providing an album with his own voice and only a few collab songs. Hopefully Humanz will prove a success like Demon Days rather than the flop that was The Fall.

Their 2017 European and UK tour has just been announced which will provide every fan with a chance to see the band on stage. For more information check out https://www.xsnoize.com/gorillaz-announce-humanz-uk-tour/

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Helen Russell 25 Articles
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