They were planting seeds at night to grow a made-up paradise

Continuing my trip forward in time through the album charts

03/03/23 : Cracker Island - Gorillaz

Our third visit with Gorillaz - I generally don't mind their music (apart from one disastrous Glasto experience) but I'm a bit confused as to what I'm supposed to do with it and who's supposed to like it, so my expectations aren't sky-high for this.

And yeah, this is fine - there's some decent enough tunes on there and the musicianship is certainly good as well.  But, like my previous experiences, it's all a bit kitchen-sinky and I just can't really work out what it's for.  Maybe I should just go a bit Fast Show - "mmmm - nice!", possibly accompanied by some muso beard stroking.  If you like Damon's general aesthetic then I can't see any reason you won't like this - and please feel free to try to explain to me why I should/might.  I'm very pleased to say it doesn't outstay its welcome though - a nicely brief 37 minutes.

We're at #1 with a new entry this week, so there are obviously plenty of people that do like it - but I doubt it will be hanging around for ages.  The rest of the top five are P!nk, Gracie Abrams (another new entry - I suspect this would be more up my street, despite her appearing to be about ten years old), The Weeknd and Adam Lambert (another new entry).  That's it for new entries in the top ten, but I'm intrigued by Obey Robots (#15) - a collaboration between one of Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Laura Kidd, who I once saw live playing with Throwing Muses and Belly in a converted chapel in Bristol (which was a GREAT gig!).

Wikipedia tells me this is their eighth album - wow (their debut was in '98).  There are a interesting bunch of guest artists on the album - Thundercat, Stevie Nicks, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny and Beck (I'd struggle to say the album makes full use of all of them).  The critics were mostly nice enough about it although I'd have to say that "an album that walks a very thin line between playing to the band’s strengths and relying too heavily on old tricks" seems a very fair comment to me.  It's been surprisingly successful commercially though - #1 in Ireland and NZ and top three in Australia, Germany and The Netherlands.

"Customers also listened to" "no similar recommendations" - that's unusual.  This is probably partly due to this being a new album (although this isn't normally an issue) and partly due to, well, what is the point to Gorillaz?  Answers on a postcard please...

24/02/23 - Not my sort of thing, but not bad at all
10/03/23 - Jangly but melancholy

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