Gorillaz Albums In Order Free Of Absolute

Since he and Blur swooned their way onto the scene in the early 90s, Albarns discography is remarkably free of absolute missteps.

Sure, Blur didnt cover themselves in glory on the half-arsed 2003 album Think Tank, and who actually has listened to much-derided side-project The Good, The Bad and The Queen.

Gorillaz last album, 2017s Humanz, however, is where things get a bit tricky.

In a time of political turmoil, the madness of the worlds sketchiest band felt sorely needed.

Hopefully, Humanz was going to help us make sense of the world, too.

It didnt, sadly. For fans and causals alike, it felt like Albarn slipped into the background too often, allowing guests like Noel Gallagher, Popcaan and RagNBone Man take the lead in places.

The band have wilfully chosen to occupy their space in another dimension throughout their career, but Humanz got caught in the cosmic doorway.

Their sixth album is made of 11-tracks recorded by Damon Albarn with producer James Ford in London earlier this year.

He did so, mainly, because it gives him a reason to go on tour this year.

The cynic in you will want to label this album as a quick cash grab, but you absolutely shouldnt, its much more than measured release than that.

Released nine months after the grandiose Plastic Beach in 2010, it was recorded on tour by Albarn largely on his iPad as they undertook their biggest US tour yet.

It resulted in an album that proved to be a refreshingly lo-fi listen that was beloved by fans, but largely ignored by the mainstream.

Credited guests are limited to Snoop Dogg, soul legend George Benson and US house pioneer Jamie Principle.

Like The Fall, it proudly displays its passport stamps, with songs like Kansas, Hollywood and Idaho appearing on the tracklist.

Most importantly, it feels like Albarn and his alter-ego, 2D have reclaimed their place centre-stage.

As told in the latest instalment to Gorillaz highly entertaining mythology, their wicked bassist Murdoc is banged up in Wormwood Scrubs, and The Now Now is the product of the sensitive 2D reprising his role as the bands creative driving force.

After the bonkers apocalyptic house party of the last record, its about recalibrating with modern life away from bad influences.

Humility, a G-Funk summer bop is paired with dreary lines about loneliness: I dont want this isolationSee the state Im in now.

Meanwhile, Kansas and Fireflies is as reflective as anything that appears on Blurs morose 1999 masterpiece, 13.

A welcome and honest release for a band that has too often favoured visual elements over relatable, dare we say it, human lyrics.

Gorillaz Albums In Order Zip With Energy

Where Humanz leaned too heavily on swampy, generic hip-hop beats (Saturnz Barz, Submission), The Now Now prides itself on making 11 pop tracks that zip with energy, passion and an abundance of ideas.

Some are stripped right down to their core and are all the better for it, like the largely instrumental numbers Lake Zurich and One Percent.

Hes managed to tap into the chaotic ethos so electrifying and unpredictable first time round, and reanimate the bands fortunes in dazzling fashion.