Album
Gorillaz
Humanz
April 28 2017 (Parlophone)
7.5/10
Words: Alison Mack
Damon Albarn's animated Gorillaz project arrives with 'Humanz', their fifth album in their 17-year existence. For this effort they line up a masterclass of collaborations from De La Soul on the effervescent 'Momentz', to Kelela helping fix some sinous R& on 'Submission', Grace Jones dominating on the hypnotic 'Charger', to Mavis Staples' chorus wails on the Pusha T-led 'Let Me Out' and Savages' Jehnny Beth and Noel Gallagher on 'We Got the Power'. It almost gets to a point of where you want to say "enough!" over its weighty 20 track length (in its deluxe version) and six dialogue interludes that compartmentalize songs.
While fans and sycophants may love it, amidst its series of electronic soundscapes that incorporate club, dancehall, R&B and hip-hop textures, many will still be left at the end of the day feeling it overblown; from 'Ascension's kick off with Vince Staples' repeated, "The sky's falling baby / Drop that ass 'fore it crash", to the synth outing refrain of “I am a satellite, and I can’t get back without you” on Albarn's synth syphoned 'Busted and Blue', it shows nonetheless a large amount of eclectic and impressive ombré.
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