With soft waves, a gentle breeze and some easy feelings, the introduction track of Gorillaz' newest album, Plastic Beach, immerses you into a world of tropical peace. The next song, ""Welcome to the Plastic Beach,"" features Snoop Dogg, and as its title suggests, the song drives this beachy point home.
Plastic Beach is the third studio album from the British pop-rock band. The project is a different musical venture for Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn. This change in direction is clearly heard when listening through the album in its entirety. Considering Gorillaz are simply an eclectic group of producers and musicians coming together to construct a virtual band, this change was to be expected.
The melancholy sound of previous Gorillaz tunes, such as ""Clint Eastwood,"" has been exchanged for a more positive and upbeat style. Despite this evolution, there is a song on the new album with the group's previous style right in its name: ""On Melancholy Hill."" Ironically, it's one of the most joyful and poppy tracks on the record.
This new approach takes on a more bubbly, funky feel on ""Superfast Jellyfish,"" which features De La Soul and Gruff Rhys. The song is a reflection of the album in general: overt electronic beats mixed with synthesizer overlays and vocoders. Yet, as on previous Gorillaz albums, the album's best trait is the way each track flows from one to another. This flow creates a journey the band wants the listener to follow and experience. On Plastic Beach, this journey is easily recognizable and easy to join.
The mention of synthetic material in the album's title should serve as a warning to listeners: They need to be ready for an overly manufactured sound, one conductive to a perfectly warm summer day. Albarn commented in 2009 that he conceived the idea for this album while on the beach, trying to find ""the plastic within the sand."" Shortly after this experience he began recording new material for his then-side-project, Carousel. But in September 2008, Albarn and fellow producer Jamie Hewlett announced they were producing another Gorillaz album, with Carousel being Plastic Beach's starting point.
With guest artists like Mos Def, Snoop Dogg, De La Soul and Lou Reed as well as guest musicians/producers Hypnotic Bass Ensemble and the Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music, Plastic Beach is a collaborative treasure. Albarn and Hewlett keep the production on par with their prior studio ventures, and the evolution in sound is a breath of fresh air that the group's listeners will definitely enjoy taking in.
The album is a must-listen for those who enjoy a more electronic, synthesized sound. Listeners shouldn't be shocked to find the preconceived Gorillaz style hard to find. It does pop up in a few tracks, so one must listen through the entire album. It needs to be taken in slowly, its hidden complexities appreciated, similar to how one takes in all of the minor perfections experienced during a peaceful day at the beach.
