Gorillaz - Plastic Beach (Parlophone/Virgin)

Gorillaz's third album Plastic Beach is more like a compilation album rather than a studio album. There are only four tracks on this album that don't have some kind of collaboration on it. Plastic Beach isn't like Gorillaz's previous works, Demon Days and Gorillaz. In fact, this sounds like a very quirky compilation album featuring underground and big names. It's an interesting approach to the animated four we all are familiar with.

As I mentioned, Plastic Beach features a lot of collaborating artists. From the underground hip-hop artist Mos Def to the very well known legend Lou Reed, there are many bizarre combinations. Like Mick Jones and Paul Simon on the title track "Plastic Beach". As for the songs go, they're are all very quirky and Gorillaz-like. From the bass pumping "Stylo" to the cool down "Empire Ants", it's cheesy and a fun listen, like to good old Gorillaz usually are. But some of the instrumentation is just pure annoying, like on the electropop thriller "Glitter Freezes" the synth reaches pitches not suitable to the human ear.

Besides being interesting party music, Plastic Beach doesn't really much else to offer. Besides the ocassional artistic approach to psychedelia ("Cloud of Unknowing") and a swingy feel ("To Binge"), it's all basic boring pop that really wears off after a couple of listens. "Stylo" is a heart pounder, but really loses its lust after three to four listens.

Critics all over the web and newspapers are giving this album a relatively positive reviews. I can't see what they see in it. The Gorillaz trying using some orchestrations from the get go ("Orchestra Intro"), and just don't make it work. "White Flag" has the Lebanese National Orchestra For Oriental Arabic Music playing behind the rapping of Kano and Bashy, a very unsuitable mix in my honest opinion.

I've never really been much of a fan of Gorillaz, besides from the occasional fun single like "Feel Good Inc." and "Clint Eastwood". Gorillaz sound like a bunch of middle aged musicians trying to get back in their heyday with mediocre electro-pop from a bunch of weirdly animated characters with bizarre facial expressions.

Overall: 5.9/10

Track Listing:

1. Orchestral Intro Ft. sinfonia ViVA - 6.0
2. Welcome To the World of the Plastic Beach Ft. Snoop Dogg & Hyptonic Brass Ensemble - 6.5
3. White Flag Ft. Kano, Bashy & Lebanese National Orchestra For Oriental Arabic Music - 4.5
4. Rhinestone Eyes - 6.0
5. Stylo Ft. Bobby Womack & Mos Def - 7.0 *
6. Superfast Jellyfish Ft. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul - 6.0
7. Empire Ants Ft. Little Dragon - 7.5 *
8. Glitter Freezes Ft. Mark E. Smith - 3.0
9. Some Kind of Nature Ft. Lou Reed -6.5
10. On Melancholy Hill - 6.5
11. Broken - 6.5
12. Sweepstakes Ft. Mos Def & Hyptonic Brass Ensemble - 5.5
13. Plastic Beach Ft. Mick Jones & Paul Simon - 7.5 *
14. To Binge Ft. Little Dragon - 5.0
15. Cloud of Unknowing Ft. Bobby Womack & sinfonia ViVA - 6.5 *
16. Pirate Jet - 5.0

* - Notable Track

Sample:

"Stylo Ft. Bobby Womack & Mos Def"