Review: Gorillaz' "Plastic Beach"

Gorillaz
ALBUM: “Plastic Beach”
LABEL: Parlophone/Virgin

Vanilla Ice once demanded that we “Stop, collaborate and listen,” and it’s obvious that Damon Albarn took that to heart. When the millennium came to its lackluster end, Britpop mania fizzled, but instead of fading into obscurity, the Blur frontman maintained relevance by fine-tuning his Gorillaz concept and reaching out to other artists. Their previous releases, “Gorillaz” and “Demon Days,” had their fair share of collaborators, but on “Plastic Beach” Albarn brings out the big guns — from De La Soul to Lou Reed.
The album fades in with seagull cries, swooning strings and elegiac divergences that wordlessly reveal Albarn’s overarching subject: The disjunction between nature and modern life. Considering the playful superficiality of the Gorillaz project, Albarn isn’t taking too strong of a position; he’s merely attempting to grill modernity’s cons while still utilizing its pros.
Brass orchestration dissolves into “Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach,” a reintroduction to the pulsing beats and trancy pop that Gorillaz fans know and love. It’s also the beginning of the cameo cavalcade. His slickness the Snoop D.O. Double G. kicks things off, blowing out plumes of laidback funk and acknowledging that, “it seems like the world is so hopeless.” After the shock of Snoop’s appearance wears off, we’re left to wonder if Albarn’s shot his load on the second song of the album. Fortunately, the star appearances just get better.
“Sweepstakes” has Mos Def taking over the mic, pumping out cash-centric lines in frantic succession. “Plastic Beach” features both Mick Jones and Paul Simonon, making it the first time the two have recorded together since The Clash disbanded.
As if the cool-camel’s back weren’t already about to break, the legendary Lou Reed offers his graveled voice on “Some Kind of Nature.” Many artists get criticized for losing moxie in their old age, but Lou’s got swagger pouring out of his wrinkled, ape-like features.
It might sound like Albarn is getting lost amid the massive star power on hand, but in actuality, his solo tracks are some of the best on the album. “On Melancholy Hill” notably shows off the singer’s puppy-dog vocals while providing a glimmer of hope. “You can’t get what you want, but you can get me/so let’s set up and see/’cause you are my medicine/when you’re close to me.” There’s a sense of loss permeating the whole of the album, but it’s nice to know that some form of happiness still exists in the “Plastic Beach” world.
4/5 Stars