Gorillaz - Plastic Beach

It isn’t often that one sees a high-concept, virtual pop band that can make the Top 40, but that seems to be the niche Gorillaz have created for themselves since their emergence onto the music scene in 2001. Their latest release, Plastic Beach, is simultaneously their poppiest work and yet their most inaccessible.

The album begins with a swelling, cinematic orchestral piece that is well-crafted and lush. Similarly gorgeous arrangements recur in tracks like “White Flag” and “Rhinestone Eyes,” with Gorillaz creative mastermind Damon Albarn showing his intimate knowledge of music. These layers of sound are the album’s one absolute positive.

Another marking characteristic of Plastic Beach is its use of guest artists. Snoop Dogg appears on “Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach,” and although the song brims with typical Snoop swagger, it lacks follow-through from the band. Brit-Hop artists Bashy and Kano lend their idiosyncratic sound to “White Flag.” Mos Def raps on two tracks of varying quality.

The first half of Plastic Beach shows promise. “Superfast Jellyfish” is the crowning achievement of the album, sporting super clever, super fun lyrics that comment on modern consumerism. “Stylo” jarringly melds Mos Def and Bobby Womack, but the unique song still connects with the listener.

By the second half of the album, however, Plastic Beach becomes nothing but a platform for self-indulgent musical farce. Every song is too long. Every song lacks direction. Every song is Albarn & Co. rocking out in the studio with no concern for the listener. There seems to be no regard for the audience in any of the later tracks, leaving the listener disconnected and marooned.