Please disregard the text of this review. My views on music have changed in recent months.
Gorillaz made sure that we had several ways to entertain ourselves while patiently waiting four years for the release of their new LP. Their nine-track, somewhat memorable G-Sides record was released, containing some entertaining remixes, but offering little in the way of anything fresh. Spacemonkeyz, presumably another fictional band, remixed several of the tracks into reggae on their release, but could only come up with one or two interesting tracks. A few months ago, having not seen anything recent in the ways of news or rumors, I gave up on the Gorillaz, anticipating that something else as fresh and original would appear out of nowhere.
On my way back to the dwelling place to musical misery, I was stopped dead in my tracks by a tap on the shoulder. I turned around to see 2D, the band's lead singer (voiced by Damon Albarn), announcing that yes, the Gorillaz did have a new record coming in my direction, and yes, a new single was out. Hearing this fantastic news, I eagerly accessed my Windows Media Player and played the song, "Feel Good Inc.," only to feel bitterly disappointed. While the song succeeds in reaching the creepy sound it aims for, the bass line which constitutes the tune doesn't hold together, and the only portion of the song which truly shines is the chorus. The chorus is actually one of the better-sounding parts on the record, but its still not enough to turn the song around. Throw me a bone, here: you know a rapper's copping out when half of his lyrics are "ha ha ha ha."
After giving the song some ten listens, I was pretty positive that I wasn't buying the record. But then metacritic.com, a fairly reliable source for music reviews, had the more intellectually inclined of its critics recommending it, and I changed my mind. My birthday fortunately being very proximal to the record's release date, I made myself a purchase.
While the Gorillaz Demon Days is certainly a good record, its "major malfunction" is that it seems to flow together as one song rather than fifteen (the number of tracks). This is obviously forgivable, since it tells a not-too-distant-future story about the end of the world, and themed records are meant to flow together. But with the exception of the last five tracks, I rarely feel an urge to flip directly to any of the songs located before White Light. This could be a good thing, because it makes me feel much more inclined to listen to the record as a whole. Yet while the first ten tracks are good, very few are spectacular.
Just about every song has its own shining moment, and fills the remaining void with just-good-enough-ness. After a tired yet appropriate introduction, the first real song is Last Living Souls, which has neat instrumentalism and a fantastic kicker, but the lack of passion in 2D's voice makes the song hard to get into. The chorus, however, is quite lovely and keeps us optimistic for the next track, Kids With Guns, which sounds cool, but once more is kind of boring in its mediocre goodness until the closing moments, which surprise with an explosion, filling our optimistic cup once more.
O Green World is the first song to really catch our ear, which isn't good news with it being the fourth track on the record. It has a really neat, alternately Psycho-mocking beat, and a friendly chorus which keeps us interested in the song. However, by the end, its act does feel a little exhausted, and it drops from an "A-" to a "B".
Things don't start to come around until Every Planet We Reach Is Dead, which is surprisingly jumpy, given its title. It's a very neat blues jam, 2D's disappointingly unemotional voice somehow carrying the song to its fulfilling release. November Has Come and All Alone, the two following tracks, bring back strong memories of Big Boi's Speakerboxxx, both in sound and rap, particularly in the latter, which sounds like a carbon copy. I don't, however, find this distasteful. Producer DJ Dangermouse simply had a very powerful influence on the record, and displays that here.
As I said, the finishing five tracks on the record are spectacular, all of them being A-minuses and above. White Light, while lacking in real musicianship and lyricism, is just too cool of an electronic jam to pass up, particularly when the bass line kicks in towards the end. Dare, hands down my favorite song on the record and instantly catchy (particularly if you are a middle schooler), has Rosie Wilson's sweet feminine voice singing over its dance/techno beat, with Shaun Ryder's vocals constantly reminding us of what we are listening to. Dennis Hopper makes a drawn-out narrative appearance in Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head, telling a story that I can't quite follow, but find myself enjoying nonetheless. Everything wraps up with celestial fineness in the closing two tracks. I'm not too sure as to why Don't Get Lost in Heaven and Demon Days are divided into two tracks, as they mix together are not intended for separate listening. But in any case, the London Community Gospel Choir provides excellent vocals for the album's closing moments, and I am extremely ingratiated to the instrumentalists for giving the record such an ethereal finish.
Do not dismiss the record's hip-hop aspects. While the rapping on the single leaves much to be desired, Bootie Brown holds his own on Dirty Harry, the companion song to their debut's "Clint Eastwood," which is likewise the fifth track. The old-school beat precluding his entrance foreshadows a rap solo, and he brings his skills to the table well, rapping very intensely and making the song far more enjoyable. MF Doom and Roots Manuva make their own entrances in later tracks, and do not fail to satisfy.
Demon Days is not entirely similar to Gorillaz in quality nor musical likeliness, but the listener still finds himself in a 50-minute moment of enjoyment, barring "Feel Good, Inc.," the one unqualified track. Gorillaz, having far more than four pieces, are a developing "band" and will continue to develop, Damon Albarn hopefully bringing in the producers he has in previous instances.
The 15-track Demon Days is the follow-up to Gorillaz s worldwide smash self-titled debut and was co-produced by Albarn and Danger Mouse. The London Co...More at Buy.com Marketplaces
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