What do you get when you combine Damon Albarn, singer for Britpop superstars
Blur, with hip-hop producer Dan The Automator? Gorillaz, silly! Albarn takes a
busman's holiday and avails himself of the opportunity to take the kind of
sonic risks one would be unlikely to find on a Blur album. This isn't hip-hop or
dance music per se, though “Rock the House” is a bona-fide party rap tune,
and Dan The Automator adds plenty of hip-hop elements and trip-hop beats
throughout.
Ultimately, GORILLAZ is occupied by Albarn's arch, twisted pop vision filtered
through a dizzying array of electronic sounds and studio manipulations. There
are some interesting stylistic experiments, too, as on the Latin-style “Latin
Simone,” which features a guest vocal from none other than Cuban legend
Ibrahim Ferrer, and “Slow Country,” which, despite its title, is an
excursion into the atmospheric land of dub reggae. This is a far cry from
Britpop–imagine Blur in a sonic kaleidoscope. And then try in vain to imagine
either of the Gallagher brothers attempting anything close to this.
What the critics say…
Rolling Stone (6/21/01, p.78) – 3 stars out of 5 – “…A playful piece
of genre-squishing art pop. Inspired by the punky reggae parties of
SANDINISTA!-era Clash….running with anything-goes avant-aesthetic…”
Spin (1/02, p.76) – Ranked #6 in Spin's “Albums of the Year 2001”.
Spin (6/01, p.148) – 7 out of 10 – “…A multiculti grasp of the
sweetest kind….Easy on the ears because they know the difference between
calling people up and casting them…”
Q (5/01, p.115) – 4 stars out of 5 – “…With its creepily urban feel,
and innocent, nursery-rhyme quality of the melodies, Gorillaz couldn't be
further from a self-consciously arch ‘art’ supergroup…”
Alternative Press (2/02, p.65) – Ranked #15 in AP's “25 Best Albums of
2001”.
Alternative Press (7/01, p.68) – 8 out of 10 – “…Brilliant…”
Magnet (6–7/01, pp.89–90) – “…Nothing short of sheer musical
buggery…”
Muzik (5/01, p.66) – 5 out of 5 – “…Genre-splicing, sample-collaging,
spliffed-out hip hop…standing head and shoulders over anything Blur have ever
achieved…and even overshadows much of Dan The Automator's recent
output…”
Mojo (Publisher) (4/01, p.98) – “…A funky…meld of dub, reggae, hip
hop, world music, pop and thrash punk….Electric, upbeat, and actually very
good.”
NME (Magazine) (12/29/01, p.59) – Ranked #48 in NME's 50 “Albums Of the
Year 2001”.
