If there was a hall of fame of cartoon bands one would have to believe that Gorillaz would be a first ballot member. The brainchild of Blur frontman Damon Albarn has been entertaining listeners for over 20 years since their debut single “Clint Eastwood” was released in 2001.
While Albarn is the force behind the music, it is Tank Girl co-creator Alan Martin who is the vision behind the visual aspect of the band. Together they have created one of the more influential groups of the 2000s and have released their eighth studio album, Cracker Island.
As an animated band, the possibilities are endless on what Gorillaz can do. Instead of setting off to space to record the new album or docking a Chinese spy balloon to lay tracks, they choose to record their ‘LA album.’ Cracker Island sets Albarn’s eccentric group of characters on a mission to start a cult. At one point, they are told to ‘follow the rhythm not the algorithm’ in attempt to form their collection of like minded soldiers.
Cracker Island is the group’s finest album since 2005’s Demon Days and the collection of collaborators is quite impressive. Thundercat shows up on the title track which along with “New Gold” can be counted amongst the band’s best songs to date. Stevie Nicks and Albarn’s vocals weave together magnificently on “Oil.” Unlike 2020’s Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez, which was laced with appearance after appearance and was musically suited more to the guest stars than the band itself, Cracker Island returns to normalcy where the visitors to the island are invited to help build the group up rather than themselves.
The one exception to this is inclusion of superstar Bad Bunny on “Tormenta.” Of the album’s 10 songs, it was recorded first back in 2021 when the scent of Strange Timez was still in the air. Adeleye Omotayo shines on “Silent Running” and states his claim for Most Valuable Guest Star. Cracker Island stands as one of Gorillaz finest records because of its focus on the music instead of a concept. The somber album does give the listener a shimmer of hope in the Harry Styles-esque “Skinny Ape” when Albarn pleads ‘cheer me up and help me walk again.’
On the aforementioned “New Gold,” Pharcyde founding member Bootie Brown returns to the flock to serve as the lead along with Tame Impala. Brown provided vocals on arguably the group’s biggest hit “Dirty Harry” and brings his flawless delivery to “New Gold” that with the alt-pop funk of Gorillaz combines perfectly to produce one of the group’s better songs in some time.
The move to California to record the album is so apparent as Cracker Island as a whole has a much more laid back vibe than the previous seven records and will be one that fans will be Viking to throughout the upcoming summer.
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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