REVIEWS:
"...the welcome return of Neneh Cherry, who joins Albarn in song with
a snatch of Salt N Pepa's "Push It" on the menacing "Kids
with Guns". A dark return from these dedicated culture vultures, but
thankfully, not at the expense of their cartoonish pop presence."
Louis Pattison
"...The
album is a darker and more intense affair than 2001's Gorillaz. The soul
of the recording can't avoid being a manifestation of the time, climate
and location of the place we were in when it was recorded. Consequently
the colours are rich, dark and heavy while the rhythms are clean,
strategic and relentless. It has a consciousness to it."
Gorillaz guitarist Noodle
"Gorillaz
return with a blisteringly good album that happily skips from genre to
genre and looks set to be one of the most rewarding albums you'll hear
this year...
Hooking up this time with Dangermouse, who produced the online bootleg
Grey Album which spliced Jay-Z's Black and The Beatles' White albums
together to create merry copyright hell, Albarn has accumulated a stellar
supporting cast of star guests to broaden Gorillaz's musical horizon.
Tracks such as the basstastic current hit single "Feel Good Inc"
featuring De La Soul and the free download "Dirty Harry", which
seems to blend the menace of a children's choir over a Tom Tom Club-ish
funk stand out. Shaun Ryder guests on the mighty "Dare", and
sounds more alive than he has for years. But the album's highlight has to
be the rumbling dub of "All Alone" which unites Roots Manuva
with Martina Topley-Bird.
Other unlikely collaborators crop up throughout, with Ike Turner on "Every
Planet We Reach Is Dead", Neneh Cherry sexily supporting "Kids
With Guns" and Dennis Hopper narrating a tale about the happy folk on
"Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head".
A concise and enjoyable 50 minutes..."
Ian Wade
