Gorillaz: Plastic Beach Review

Springbreaaaaaaaak! One of the best times of the year for a lot of people to flip out and have some fun! Boozehounds looking for fun, dumbass teenagers waltzing down to Miami for the local skankdown, and reviewers... doing jack shit. Good times comes with good music, and so that gives this reviewer something to do! It doesn't help that I started writing this Plastic Beach review over Spring Break, and then stopped because of a serious case of a flu, but the show must go on! I've already had a fangasm over another album on this site by the group that we're looking at today, and that is the Gorillaz.

The Gorillaz came exploding into the world of music in 2001 when they released their first kickass, self-titled album. Clint Eastwood, the flagship single of the group, flew into the charts and peaked at No. 5. However, it also changed the face of music forever as it showed everybody that there was still ingenuity left in the musical scene. This motley crew of cartoon characters came back in 2005 and returned with another smash, the Demon Days album, where their first single Feel Good Inc. shook the foundations in the industry.

After a long hiatus, after Gorillaz 'disbanded' in 2007, they came back earlier this year with their third, long-awaited album that had their hardcore fans foaming at the mouth, who have been waiting for this golden moment for so long! But who the fuck cares about the fangirls and fanboys, they don't have real opinions other than "OMFG GENIUSES" when we all know that hardcore fans are like dogs: they will eat up anything you give them, including shit. Anyway, more on them later. Point is, they released their new album, Plastic Beach.

Rest assured, this isn't a terrible album, and although the rabid fangirls who would rape Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett at the drop of a hat (aka the two men responsible for this fab group) would tell you that this is the greatest, most genius thing that the Gorillaz have ever made, I have to say that they're full of shit. Plastic Beach is pretty good, but it's nothing compared to the debut Gorillaz album of 2001 and the Demon Days sophomore album of 2005. That's right, the fucking debut was better than Plastic Beach, when they were just putzing around and having some unadulterated fun. An album that is meant to be inferior is actually BETTER than the third album.

Where does that leave Plastic Beach? In truth, my first impressions on the Plastic Beach album had me absolutely fucking hating it, but the feeling I have now shines of mild disappointment. When you review an entire album you need to listen to it more than once to let it try and grow on you. Only after repeated listenings did I see it appropriate to review Plastic Beach because it's a grower; the first time won't hook you, but it needs repeated listens. This review is going to be a track-by-track review so we can dig deeper into the Plastic Beach album itself, and find out what went wrong.

Orchestral Intro

Welcome To The World Of The Plastic Beach

Alrighty, the real first track of the album, much like how Last Living Souls was the first real track of Demon Days. Welcome To The World of the Plastic Beach is interesting enough because it features one of the godfathers of rap, Snoop Dogg. How the hell did they get Snoop on here? That's AWESOME! The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble also helps this track, and it's a pretty epic opening. WTHWOTPB (to simplify things) sets the mood for the rest of the album, welcoming you to a plastic world set in the warm tropics, much like how Last Living Souls opened up a drab, dreary, melancholy world in Demon Days. It accomplishes its mission here, and it's an epic blood-pumper to get you excited! Snoop's rap is tight, and the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble compliment him very well, the sound very reminiscent of an old hip-hop album.

I find this to be one of the most developed songs on Plastic Beach because it sounds, in contrast to some of the others, fuller in sound. When you listen to Gorillaz or Demon Days, you get bombarded with a wall of sound that overwhelms you but hypnotizes you and brings you in at the same time. Welcome To The World of the Plastic Beach has that full sound, and it's one of the few tracks on the Plastic Beach album that has it. Overall, this is a kick-ass opening, but the Plastic Beach album sadly goes downhill from here.

White Flag

We begin this track with a nice, relaxing classical tune by the National Orchestra for Arabic Music, who was brought in to accompany the tracks with their hypnotizing magic... until we launch into a rap by British acts Kano and Bashy, a strange beat, and a processed drumbeat. Then, we slide back into the melodious music from the National Orchestra. This track threw me through a loop the first time I heard it, and I was like "Wait a second, this doesn't match at all." However, it's experimental, just like everything else the Gorillaz do, so I listened to it repeatedly until it finally got under my skin. Still, while the two acts do a great job, they didn't neatly mesh together for me in the beginning, and White Flag felt disjointed at first.

One of the biggest problems that Plastic Beach has emerges here, and it's the fact that this was a self-produced album. For Gorillaz and Demon Days, Damon and co were assisted by producers from the outside, Dan the Automator for the first album, and Danger Mouse for the second. With their guidance, they bring their own individual sounds to the table that actually give Gorillaz and Demon Days their respective atmospheres, emphasizing the motif of dark, griminess that I feel every time I turn a Gorillaz tune on. However, what happens with Plastic Beach is that the songs had potential to be fantastic, but they fall flat, I feel, because Damon didn't have that guidance from someone else to help him improve the sounds of the song.

For example, and this is probably going to be a running feature throughout this review, I'm going to say what I think the song should have been like. In the comments, feel free to disagree or bash me. I just won't listen if it's the second option! Now, with White Flag, how about instead of splitting the orchestra and rapping portions into two distinct parts, how about we actually do what the end of the song does and mix them together so we have a fuller sound, and it's more experimental because it has two clashing styles working together? The end of White Flag shows this potential, and you only wonder why the fuck Damon didn't do that in the first place! And then to mix things up, how about do a structure where we have the rap and orchestra, then a bridge with the beat and the orchestra playing something different, and then a second verse with Kano and Bashy, followed by the music playing us out? For fuck's sake, that would have made it more interesting.

Rhinestone Eyes

This is another explosive number that kicks Plastic Beach off right, beginning things with a quirky beat and distant vocals from 2D. Then, without warning, we're launched into a more exciting pace as things get kicked into overdrive, Rhinestone Eyes definitely being a dance number for those who want to get up and kick it. As the vocals remind one of Feel Good Inc., and you hear Noodle join in with brief "Electric!"s here and there, this reminds me of a strange fusion of 19-2000 and Feel Good Inc. That's definitely not a bad thing, and this could possibly be a strong candidate for a future single! This one took me some getting used to initially, but now I love it!

This is definitely one of the high points of Plastic Beach because I can't really find anything else wrong with it. See, Rhinestone Eyes is definitely one of those tracks that don't have a guest, and I think it's really strong because of this. The Gorillaz were able to actually do something without the pretensions of a celebrity guest, and it turns out that Rhinestone Eyes is a very strong song. Why wasn't this the first single?!

Stylo

Alright, this was the very first track that I heard for this album. Is there any particular reason? Yeah, it was the comeback single... what? Yeah, it's true. I came onto Gorillaz-Unofficial one day to check up on the progress of the new album, and as soon as I blinked Stylo was announced for release on January 26th, 2010, after some Russian fan leaked it on his blog six days beforehand. Anyway, enough history, let's talk music.

Again, I wasn't too sure about this one. It's a tune that resembles an electronic nightmare that features Bobby Womack, legendary soul-R&B singer from the Valentinos, and Mos Def, who needs no introduction, but as a lead single? Who had the brilliant idea to use this as the lead single? Damon and Jamie were probably sniffing a gratuitous amount of glue one day, and when they saw the Russian twat leak it on the internet they were like "OHFUCK THEY'VE HEARD IT, NOW STYLO'S THE LEAD SINGLE." In moderate seriousness, I was expecting something like Feel Good Inc. or Clint Eastwood again, something to blow me out of the water. Instead... Stylo. It's an eh song, and I really had my hopes that the Gorillaz wouldn't just fucking half-ass their comeback.

I'm going to go on a rant now, so here's the song so we won't get too distracted.

We have a disjointed mess, and I really want to stab any Gorillanazi in the eye who says "THIS IS GENIUS!!1!!11!". "Gorillanazi, Kenny? Really?" Yes. Those hardcore fans are fucking ridiculous, they'll peck the eyes out of anybody who naysays their musical Messiah, Damon, pissing on any prick who DARES criticize their genius and idol. Anyway, Stylo suffers from what Rhinestone Eyes was mercifully lacking, and that was guests. I have the feeling that they just threw this together because they were like "I want Bobby Womack in an electronic song!" "How about Mos Def as well to appeal to the kids?" "GENIUS!!!"

Seriously, this song actually sounds like the fucking demo, and if it's anything I've learned that's a very bad sign. Here's an example. Remember Tomorrow Comes Today? If you're the average fan who's only 13-15 years old, of course not, it came out when you were 5. Anyway, it had a demo that was originally a Blur track that was left alone for a while. Listen to the demo, and listen to the actual song.

See what I mean? It seems to me like this was just half-assed and thrown together because they were either running out of passion or ideas, or both, and Stylo is a bland piece of shit. Maybe if it had more traditional instruments, a more coherent structure, and wasn't so fucking LONG, then maybe it would actually be a song I could willingly listen to, but that isn't the case, and I fucking hate Stylo... The music video's pretty good. They played Stylo on the Jools Holland show tonight, and this only confirmed things for me. They used real instruments, and aside from no structure and repetitiveness, it sounded GOOD. Damn it, guys!

Superfast Jellyfish

After sampling an 80's breakfast commercial, we are launched face-first into the goofy rapping antics of De La Soul, as well as vocals from 2D and Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals. Now THIS should have been the lead single for Plastic Beach! From the intro to the end, this energetic, exciting rap record reminds me of the days of the beginning of De La Soul's career with their album Three Feet High and Rising, emanating that carefree attitude of daisy hip-hop.

The presence of real drums, as opposed to a processed beat, and a more traditional structure, really helps me like this song! And just because it's more traditional than other songs on Plastic Beach doesn't mean that it's a bad record, by any stretch of the imagination, it just means that to me, it sounds better. However, my only complaint with Superfast Jellyfish is that again, it feels relatively naked compared to something like Rhinestone Eyes. However, in its defense, maybe it wasn't going for that tonal heaviness. Listen to Dirty Harry from Demon Days, for instance. It's one of the lighter-sounding songs from the sophomore effort, but it's still a kick-ass song. Take a listen to Dirty Harry, and then take a listen to Superfast Jellyfish!

Empire Ants

Alrighty, now we have a pretty little ballad that kicks the second half of the album off, and I have to say that it's a great start. It starts as a slow, rather melancholy tune with 2D's desperate vocals, and then they're joined by Swedish electronic group Little Dragon's lead singer Yukimi Nagano, their voices working together beautifully before, halfway through the song, the instrumentals start to come pounding in like a waterfall of sound. It's really one of those tracks on Plastic Beach that I can't really say much about because there really isn't anything I can complain about.

However, while I can't bitch and moan about Empire Ants, I can bitch and moan about the other four ballads on the second half of Plastic Beach. Seriously, while the first half of the Plastic Beach album rockets the listener into the stratosphere with its energy, it all comes to a crashing halt when the energy ebbs away, finally disappearing as, with a few songs in between, we have almost nothing but BALLADS. Again, this is where a producer would have been handy because he could have spread the ballads throughout the album, or recommend to axe some of them. It wouldn't help since Plastic Beach is so FUCKING LONG. Some tunes, like Stylo, are unnecessarily lengthy, and it really makes you wish you had a pair of scissors to axe the length to a manageable size. The mood of Plastic Beach sinks from energetic to almost depressing, and I could seriously fall asleep after Superfast Jellyfish. Good going, Damon.

Glitter Freeze

This is one of the tracks I take issue with on Plastic Beach. With guest Mark E. Smith, singer of the post-punk band The Fall, this is a dance-inspired tune that has very little variety in its melody, and is almost wholly electronic. Starting off with a quirky like of "Where's north from here?", this is about as much variation as you're going to get, as the song sounds the same for me after the opening phrase. What disappoints me the most about Glitter Freeze is how little Mark E. Smith actually shows up, because I'm fairly certain he would have been glad to say more than a few babbling words that he might have uttered before the actual recording sessions for this song. If you're looking for a good song off the dance floor, then you might be sorely disappointed.

Again, this also just sounds so fucking lazy, too. It's an electronic nightmare, like Stylo, and it sounds like Damon put no effort into Glitter Freeze. You remember the introduction of Dare where Shaun Ryder's accidental phrase of "It's coming up, it's coming up, it's coming up, it's DARE!" was put on the beginning of that song because Damon and Danger Mouse liked it so much? Glitter Freeze sounds like the lyrics are compiled with nothing BUT accidental catchphrases. Poor Mark E. Smith probably felt lousy after the fact because he didn't really have to put any effort into it, and his song was ultimately half-assed with repetitive beats, bleeps, and bloops. Again, let me comment on how it should have gone: how about, instead of a loop with only variation in pitch, we either axe the whole song or make some variation in the instrumentals, have the guest say more than three things, or have more lyrics, and just put more effort into it!? I mean again, this sounds like just another excuse to have a guest on the record!

Some Kind of Nature

The same can't be said for Some Kind of Nature, which features Lou Reed (guitarist and vocalist of The Velvet Underground, and writer of "Walk On The Wild Side"). A far more traditional song in comparison with Glitter Freeze, this features a quirky feel to it that, lo and behold, features an organic feel to it that some of the other tracks on Plastic Beach don't have. As in real instruments were used! Some Kind of Nature has a more rocky feel, and the lyrics are also catchy and well-written to fit the overall concept of the album. The vocals of 2D and Lou fit well together, and the song is tightly put together with clear effort put into it. I have no idea what else to say in praise for this song, but this funky anthem is one of the high points for me on Plastic Beach.

This also sounds like a genuine Gorillaz song because it has that fun, almost grimy, but ultimately enjoyable feel to it that reminds me of tracks from the debut album because it has a really fun atmosphere. I think it was largely due to Lou Reed, because he gave a song on Plastic Beach the face lift that makes it something great. Now if only he could have been involved in other songs on the album.... coughStyloGlitterFreezeCOUGH.

On Melancholy Hill

This is the second real ballad I can think of on Plastic Beach, On Melancholy Hill being a wonderful song that is definitely single material. In fact, it's a single that's due to be released later this year. I can't really say much about On Melancholy Hill because... it's one of those songs on Plastic Beach that actually surprises me with how non-mediocre it is. It's actually pretty good! It has a great pace, it's not repetitive in the slightest, and it has instrumental variation with an actual melody that other songs on the LP lack (COUGHSTYLOCOUGH). On Melancholy Hill is another track that lacks a guest, and again it turns out to be a standout song amongst the others. And again, this is the telltale sign of what happens when the Gorillaz don't worry about a famous guest, but just focus on the bloody music! My only gripe with this track is that it is possibly a bit long, but I believe the cut for the single version is a whole minute shorter. Still, this does not detract from the overall quality, and it does not overstay its welcome. Besides, I already bitched about the length of Plastic Beach in the Empire Ants section.

Broken

...aaaaand this is what happens when the Gorillaz get lazy. Broken is a ballad RIGHT AFTER On Melancholy Hill, so it's two ballads in a row. It's as if El Manana was followed by another ballad on Demon Days; El Manana is a good song, but the whole mood would overstay its welcome if a song similar to it came right afterwards. You might say "Wasn't Every Planet We Reach Is Dead a ballad-ish song?" Yes, but it had a very different mood, feel, and instrumentation to El Manana, and that's why it made no difference. With Broken, although it varies, it doesn't really vary all that much from On Melancholy Hill... except for the fact that it's significantly worse. The instrumentation in this instance can get a bit repetitive, and doesn't really sound all that good. It's fucking boring, in my opinion, and this pretty much confirms to me that the Gorillaz have lost what made them magic. They are capable of so much more than some of this tripe, but Broken is a fine example of what a group does when it gives up on trying to impress anyone, and just half-asses something for the sake of appeasing the rabid fans. I can't say much about Broken, but it's not because it's good like its predecessor, but because it's too mediocre to really expand upon.

Sweepstakes

This is a song that was done in one take with Mos Def, who also appeared in Stylo. The lyrics have the complexity of a goldfish, as four words are said the most in this 5 minute, 20-second song: "Sweepstakes, you're a winner!" The song starts off sounding like most modern rap on the American radios nowadays, but a little more than halfway through the song presents horns and a funky groove that reminds me of the days of old school hip-hop. Why? The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble comes to save the day, naturally! However, I have a problem with this track partially because for lyrics that aren't all that deep, and lyrics that tend to get repetitive, the song clocks in at over five fucking minutes. It's too long! It seems like an eternity before we even reach the kick-ass portion with the Hypnotic Brass ensemble, and some trimming of the fat could have definitely helped polish this song.

Again, we run into the problem of length that brings Sweepstakes down. Why does it have to be 5:20 in running time? There's no reason for it! Let's theoretically 'improve' Sweepstakes. How about this? Let's axe one minute before the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble comes in, because there is too much time that is wasted with build-up to get to the point in the song where it starts to actually get good. If it's still too long, axe a little bit of time from Sweepstakes AFTER the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble comes in, because let's face it. There isn't much to the song in terms of lyrics, so it won't make any difference if it's one minute, or three minutes, shorter. I feel that the length brings down the greatness of this song, and brevity would help.

Plastic Beach

The title track of the album, Plastic Beach, I feel, was meant to be the flagship track that would represent everything that the third album and its themes are all about. The guest musicians here are Mick Jones and Paul Simon, the guitarist and bassist of The Clash. This would be one of the first instances that the two have played together on a track in a while, and their presence is felt. From the epic opening, you can tell that the Gorillaz ditch the electronic genre and opt to go back to rock and roll, a powerful guitar and bass rift throwing us into the song. Then, we drift into a smooth melody that only the distant vocals of Damon/2D can provide. However, Plastic Beach has its issues, and they make the song mediocre at best. Yes, another song that's mediocre. Yay.

The main issue? The Gorillaz really don't do much with what they have. Paul Simon and Mick Jones provide some good instrumentation, but the opportunity for potential epicness is lost. I mean, they could have done so much more with the instrumentals and melody to actually let you know that it's somebody special playing on the track Plastic Beach, but it comes and goes without the listener actually knowing it had half of the Clash playing until they read the information. "Really? Half of the Clash? How did I miss this?!" Because Plastic Beach doesn't really leave that much of an impact. It's not a bad song by any means, but it's just average.

To Binge

This is the second appearance of Little Dragon on the Plastic Beach album, and surprise. It's another ballad. Again, I've bitched enough about how there are too many ballads in the second half of the album, so let's move on. Writing reviews on this album is getting harder and harder because I'm running out of things to say for each individual track. Really, for me, I like to group To Binge and Empire Ants together because the essence of what makes them good flow into each other. The silky vocals of Little Dragon compliments Damon's voice really well, and the overall structure is actually very solid in this track. The duet between the two singers tells a story, and To Binge is actually very soothing.

The presence of the instrumentals in this also adds to the soothing factor, as they remind me of home. I used to live in the Bahamas, and so when I hear this track it brings me back because of the fact that the instrumentals have a very Caribbean sound to them. It's mellow. However, some people have actually told me that Plastic Beach, as an album, sounds like stoner music, and I can see their argument from To Binge. However, that doesn't stop me from liking this track, and it's easily one of the better parts of the second half of the album.

Cloud of Unknowing

This is a pretty little ballad provided by that soulful man Bobby Womack. Backed up with nothing more than just strings, we get a wonderful track that, unfortunately, ends up being somewhat mediocre when it comes to the rest of the album. What happened here? While (I think) Damon's intention was to have this be the spiritual sequel to the track Demon Days from their last album, its sound being far different from anything else on Plastic Beach, I feel that its main weakness is too little background instrumentation that makes Cloud feel somewhat naked. Yes, the strings are nice and Womack is awesome at what he does, but Cloud of Unknowing only gets a Mixed Bag because much more could have been done to the instrumentals to prevent me from falling asleep. To provide an example of what I mean, here's the song Demon Days:

Do you hear where, from the very get-go, the string ensemble sounds a lot fuller? That's what we could have needed to get Cloud of Unknowing near the same level as its spiritual older brother. So how could Cloud of Unknowing be better? Let's 'make some improvements.' How about we make the sound thicker? Remember how things sound epic in Demon Days? Let's just do that! I have a feeling that's what they were going for in the first place, so why not try and mimic the epicness? It wouldn't hurt Cloud of Unknowing, and it would actually end the Plastic Beach album beautifully if Damon chose to not include Pirate Jet. So as I said before, what keeps Cloud from getting a Hit! rating is the fact that it's naked; While it sounds pretty at first glance, it's a little dull to listen to.

Pirate Jet

Oh hey, look! A Gorillaz track that actually feels like a Gorillaz track! This is the closing to the Plastic Beach album that reminds me of M1A1 from the debut, and it has a sleazy feeling in the instrumentation that makes this a pretty catchy tune. I don't have much to say here since this is a simple little outro tune, but it's easily one of my favorite tracks on Plastic Beach.

Overall Score:

10/15 = 66%

Overall, I feel that Plastic Beach, while it's an okay effort on its own, falls short of its full potential, of what it could have been. Compared with the other two Gorillaz albums, I feel that the group didn't put in the effort that they are truly capable of, and it's a shame because if Plastic Beach had the love and care that Demon Days was given, it could have actually surpassed its older brother in greatness. There is a large variety of issues, like the lack of an outside producer to act as quality control, a length that really could have been cut down, and guest overload. The last issue, for me, is the biggest problem because it feels like Damon just wanted to make an album with all of his heroes, and he didn't care if they played a tiny part that, in the end, is almost insignificant. Of course, that may not be the case, but sometimes it makes me wonder. Examples of this would be the title song Plastic Beach, Glitter Freeze, or Stylo.

So overall, to clarify for you Gorillaz fangirls who are foaming at the mouths, Plastic Beach is in no way bad, but it is mediocre. It could have been better, and that's how I feel.

On the subject of Plastic Beach losing its #1 spot from the UK charts to boy band Boyzone:

"(Anonymous)
2010-03-15 06:24 am UTC (link)
me: i agree with anyone who thinks that the name boyzone sounds gay. did i hear someone say something about one dude being dead? he probably died cuz he was stupid and gay enough to come up with such a retarded band name. *roar*..."

And this is talking shit about one of the members of Boyzone who actually DID die. Jeez, kid. Why so serious? To close us out:

Leave a Comment

Sigher
26 Apr 2010, 15:14

I'm a huge fan of Gorillaz and agree that this might be in third place when it comes to the music, but I disagree with some of what you said.
First off, it doesn't really feel like Gorillaz because it's not. It was originally "Carousel" which was, like the Rolling Stone's Rock & Roll Circus, just presented by the band in question. Due to fangirls, they changed it up and added some Albarn so it was a Gorillaz album, effectively making it sound like it wasn't "right."
And I would have given it a low grade at first, too, and I do miss Dan the Automator and Dangermouse, but this album is weird. I can't explain it that well in words, but to make it simpler, I'll just say it grows on you. I'd say the same for some of their debut album's songs, and I'd definitely say so for Stylo, which I actually didn't like much at first. And I agree it sounds better live, btw. I'd say the same thing about no difference in Demos, but then look at Broken. The demo and the final product are nearly identical. Why? I think those demos were almost finished when released, while the third one wasn't. Look up "Gorillaz Electric Shock" on YouTube. That was a straight up demo. It became Rhinestone Eyes (and a bonus track with a long title I can't recall. Something like Twelve Moons, Seven Stars, One Something).
So take it for what it is, and after a while, my grade changed to an 85%, namely because I don't like "Broken" and I want more Damon/2D on the tracks. I get that the point is about the guests, but I want no more than one song that has no Damon at all. I didn't like "Rock the House" too much, and I didn't like "Latin Simone (Que Pasa Contigo)" and now I don't particularly like "Sweepstakes" or "Cloud of Unknowing" which wasn't that bad, but I don't care to listen to more than once.
Not to say that Gorillaz style songs without Damon can't be good. Like you said, Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach was a solid track. I don't know why, I think it's that a lot of the songs on this track are too different, and that lack of Damon just shoves it straight into a Non-Gorillaz track.

Sorry I said so much.

Kenny Farino
26 Apr 2010, 15:24

I enjoyed reading your comment, and I'm happy that you were able to see past all of the fangirl bashing to get at what I was saying :P. I have to agree with what you said, and while it has grown on me a little since then, I just feel they could have done more effort-wise to bring it up to the same level as Demon Days. Thanks for reading!

Sigher
28 Apr 2010, 14:19

Well, to be fair, it's hard for any band to match up with an album like Demon Days. I felt like this was a new genre for them, and they did this genre well, I just wasn't expecting it. Hopefully, amongst the 70 something unreleased songs (praying they get released) they made, there will be a hint of some songs like Feel Good Inc. and such. Like one critic from the Chicago Tribune said, this album simply isn't as immediate as there others. There was only one song I liked straight away and that was Rhinestone Eyes. Others quickly grew on me, but some of this album just didn't work until after four listens. Some I still don't like.
Nonetheless, I feel there should have been more Damon and more real instruments. Not saying techno shouldn't be in the album (what would DARE be without it?) but it's a little overbearing. Did you hear Stylo on Jools Holland? So much better.

Sigher
28 Apr 2010, 14:35

And just to say, in case I forgot (I'm not re-reading that novel of a comment I wrote), there is some slight things I disagree with. First off, Plastic Beach (the song) was, for me, an instant "Hit." Though there presence wasn't so apparent, imagine if it was. Then we'd have something like what you said with Stylo. There might have just been too much time spent on letting you know it was them, maybe like minute long solos for each, which would, like with Sweepstakes, ruin the brevity, and thus the song. I felt like, as was, the song was well made, one of the best off the album, and had a definite Gorillaz feel (because there was Damon Albarn, as there should be).
And I agree with some of what you said with Stylo, except the guest part. I feel like the guests weren't the problem. First time I heard it, before reading anything about the song, I knew I heard Bobby Womack (which was happy for me) and I didn't even notice that was Mos Def. His part was like vocal instrumentation: it's not entirely the words that he's saying, it just sounds nice with the song. I just wish there were real instruments in that song. Imagine having Paul Simonon and Mick Jones tear that track apart. It would've been definite single material. I agree wholeheartedly with your point that they probably thought they had to since it was released.
And, FYI, Superfast Jellyfish is the next single. Hooray.
And finally, just to make my comments a little bit more meaningful, almost all the time, I'm what you'd call a "Gorillanazi." But you pointed out some definite faults. I just wouldn't rate it as low, but no Demon Days. And, after first listen, no "Gorillaz."

Kenny Farino
28 Apr 2010, 15:13

I did hear the Jools Holland version, and I'm trying to press my boss to replace the Colbert version with that once since it's a much better performance, imo. But to clarify, my constant comparisons to Demon Days aren't so much to bitch about how they aren't the same in sound, but really it's more to emphasize my point of quality control; instead of recording 80 songs for an album, why not sketch out 16 songs and perfect them to a point? My gripe with Plastic Beach and Demon Days was that I personally didn't think that PB had the same effort put into it that DD had. PB's sound isn't necessarily bad, but some of the complaints in quality like length, repetitiveness, etc. go towards the argument of whether the same amount of effort was put into this album as was put into Demon Days.

But your comments really blow me away because of the admission of being (a rather harsh term) a "Gorillanazi." I really appreciate your insight into what you found wrong with the review, and you proved to me that a whole fanbase isn't full of some scary people like the kid featured in the Fangirl Idiocy section. In truth, I used to be a 'Gorillanazi' when I was 15-16, around the Demon Days era, so I definitely know what it's like to be one of the scarier fans :P. Thankfully I've grown out of it.

I appreciate your feedback, and I enjoyed hearing from you and your novel comments! You present some really good points as well, and maybe I'll take a new appreciation for the album after this little discussion.

Sigher
28 Apr 2010, 16:51

Glad to be of assistance in an internet full of people who would just cuss you out if you disagree. Keep up the good reviews, and glad to have the discussion.

And I agree entirely about the quality control issues.

knox
29 Apr 2010, 15:33

Stylo really sounds better the more you listen to it. Stylo is an addictive song but the 80's synthesizer sound is complete rubbish when it is compared to the live performances of Stylo. Synthesizers only worked well for Flock of Seagulls and not Gorillaz.

Kenny Farino
29 Apr 2010, 15:37

I feel that it should have gone with the live version's 1970 disco sound as opposed to the incomplete sound of the 1980 synth, in my opinion.

Bosco
04 May 2010, 18:02

Hello sir I read your review twice. I am a Gorillaz fan but not a girl haha. I do NOT agree with everything that you have pointed out about Plastic Beach but since you backed up your opinion with good examples I consider this to be a good review and not a blind rant and for that I say thank you.

I fell in love with Plastic Beach after I listened to the tracks that were demoed on the Official Gorillaz web site and I think that every song is great because of the intelligent mixes of artists' styles and the instrumental pieces. Plastic Beach has fantastic songs like "Empire Ants" which is a song worthy to rival the techno genius of Moby or Daft Punk. Many of the songs are very intricate and beautiful in the way that they all seam together different styles to create solid songs.

Plastic Beach should also be credited for essentially promoting both classic musicians and musicians that fly under the radar just as with the self titled album and with Demon Days.

Maybe you cannot see the underlying grace of each song like I can or maybe I am seeing something that is not there.

Kenny Farino
08 May 2010, 13:47

I've said all that I can say about PB in the review, but thanks for thinking it was an actual good review :P. I saw the reactions of the fans on MTV's review of Plastic Beach, and I was a little worried that this review would befall the same fate!

Neuromancer99
13 May 2010, 13:42

Does any one else see that the Gorillaz are trying to break away from the characters 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russell? The only music video that has any of the fictional Gorillaz members is Stylo and in it Russell is missing and 2D, Murdoc and Noodle ARE ALL KILLED by Bruce Willis. And now all of the live performances feature the real life musicians performing in public which is something they did not do previously. Even at the Live at the Apollo concert the real musicians were hidden so you could only see their silhouettes.

I liked the fictional characters because they all had cool personalities and they had a lot of really funny sketch videos that aired on MTV. So now the Gorillaz are abandoning their avatars and rushing out their music just to capitalize on the Gorillaz fans. I think that the entire thing is a big set up for some new spin-off project or a new music group that is trying to use the Gorillaz fame instead of trying to create something from scratch. But even if I am wrong I still do not like the direction that Gorillaz is going.

Sheepcannon
25 May 2010, 12:18

Hi! I agree that Damon should of used the live version on the album. Glitter Freeze is complete crap, but there's an alternate version I've heard, that's way better. I personally love Broken, Sweepstakes and White flag. I agree that Superfast Jellyfish should have been the first single. The funny thing is, I got here from someone talking crap about this on a comment page. I respect your opinion. I also love how you actually say why you don't like the songs. Thank you, and have a nice day.

Kenny Farino
26 May 2010, 10:49

Hey there, Sheepcannon! Thanks for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed the review, and I'm glad my opinion matters :). I dislike reviews that never actually give you a good reason WHY they rate something high or low, so I wanted to treat Plastic Beach fairly and say why I think it deserves the grade it got. Once again, thanks for reading!

Kenny Farino
26 May 2010, 10:50

Also, the alternate Glitter Freeze is lightyears beyond what the album version is, I have to agree with you.

Sheepcannon
26 May 2010, 14:08

Nice to know you didn't just flip out on me. By the way, fangirls are the source of all nightmares.

Kenny Farino
26 May 2010, 15:46

Haha, why would I freak out on you for expressing your opinion? It's only if commenters go "lolyousux" that I would flip out :P.

Sheepcannon
27 May 2010, 06:10

Well, sometimes people take criticism badly. You're actually a smart person. By the way, Gorillaz will be preforming at Glastonbury (replacing U2) and Hypnotic Brass Essemble, Snoop Dogg and Mos Def are already there. Just letting you know.

Sheepcannon
27 May 2010, 06:12

P.S. I hate trolls too.

Sarah
09 Nov 2010, 20:12

First of all, no, I'm not one of those raving fangirls.
Where shall I start.. Well you should probably know (if you even read this) that I'm very laid back and think bands can do whatever they want, and you shouldn't really criticize them saying they DID something wrong, but you THINK they did something wrong. Music is all opinion, there's no set way it should go.
Speaking about opinion, I think the album overall is pretty good.. I haven't heard Demon Days or the first Gorillaz in a while, so there's not exactly a fresh memory to compare too. (except songs I listened to today..) Though you might want to know that I very rarely hear a bands' album in order, and don't judge it on the placement of the songs. I thought it was unfair that you complained about Broken being right after On Melancholy Hill. I think Broken might be simpler but its emotional and I like it, it shouldn't really matter where it's put.
I do agree with you though about Glitter Freeze, that was the only song on the album I didn't really like. Though it does remind me of earlier Gorillaz songs.
Another thing that bugged me was how you complain about the length. No one's forcing you to listen to the whole thing. ;)
Overall some of the songs I loved at first listen, and most grew on me.

Kenny Farino
10 Nov 2010, 08:06

And hey, that's your opinion, and this is mine :).

Sarah
10 Nov 2010, 13:38

It just seemed like you were reviewing it professionally, I just stumbled on this page by chance.
Also, I apparantly was thinking of something else when I heard the name Glitter Freeze. I've heard two different ones with that name.. One has Damon singing, and one has no lyrics but "where's north from here" in the beginning. I'm so confused.

4-D
11 Nov 2010, 14:44

I disagree about the live performance of STYLO being better than the album. I liked the classical instrument tough but it was too harder to hear the intricacies of the song than off of the cd. What you wrote was still fun to read and it is good when fans can go against the tide and speak out honestly.

Kenny Farino
12 Nov 2010, 19:58

@ Sarah: The Glitter Freeze that has Damon singing is actually not on the album, but is an alternate version that will probably be a B-side. The other one you're referring to, with the "Where's north from here?", is the album version. Also, I'm far from a professional, but reviewing cannot be entirely objective, as some opinionated input from the author will always be put in, if not implied!

@ 4-D: Yeah, I just really liked the classical instrumentation that went with it, and if we heard everything clearly, then it would probably be much better than we see on Jools Holland. Thanks for the comment, mate!

TomAss
19 Nov 2010, 14:20

I can tell you without fear of repercussion that you wrote a better review of Plastic Beach than the garbage I had just recently finished reading on other PROFESSIONAL haha websites. Everyone treats Plastic Beach as the bees knees but in all honesty it is a far cry from Demon Days and it is rather a step down to the selftitled album.

I agree that the album needed more work but no new Gorillaz album will likely come close to par with Demon Days. If you compare Plastic Beach with the selftitled Gorillaz album then you can appreciate Plastic Beach as the second best Gorillaz album so far because of the variety of styles and all of the great musicians who worked hard on making the boat trip to Plastic Beach an enjoyable hourlong vacation.

ROFLFISH
07 Dec 2010, 14:59

DID YOU WATCH THE NEW GORILLAZ VIDEO DONCAMATIC???? ROFL IT IS A GOOD SONG BUT THE SINGER IS A DUDE NOT A GURL!! I LOLD UNTIL I P'D!!

Bob
08 Dec 2010, 00:36

I haven't given this a complete listen yet, but from what I've heard so far, your review is realistic. The album is still relatively good and still has epic songs. I guess this is just not their best.

KMeredith
14 Dec 2010, 21:16

I'll admit that I dig Gorillaz's music so now that is out of the way my opinion is that the Gorillaz were cursed with too much success with only their second album being a huge hit and selling jillionz of copies. It's something a band can't possibly survive. Think about it, if Plastic Beach was the second official album it'd be a progression from their selftitled album. But because Demon Days was so good its like climbing mount everest and then there are no more mountains that high to climb.

You are right that Plastic Beach sounds rushed but there are still great songs that make it worth the full price. Stylo, On Melancholy Hill, and Empire Ants are great songs that are better than a few tracks from Demon Days like November Has Come, White Light and I can't stand All Alone. But thats just my own taste in music.

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Gorillaz: Plastic Beach Album Review

Plastic Beach is a lazy effort by a good band, the Gorillaz stumble a bit in their newest venture.