Never ones to stand still, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s ninth album with Gorillaz is a sprawling genre-hopping affair, with glam-rock, post-punk and soul thrown into the melting pot. The title track really underlines how different this will be, with Albarn fading into the background on an almost entirely instrumental track studded with traditional Hindustani instruments.
In large part a reflection on death, ‘The Mountain’ is a concept piece framed around the band’s animated avatars wandering up the peak. Tying into that theme, there are several posthumous collaborations culled from past sessions. Lending a melancholic feeling to the record, the decision also shows how highly Albarn rated many of these artists, from Mark E Smith of The Fall to soul icon Bobby Womack and De La Soul’s Dave ‘Trugoy The Dove’ Jolicoeur.
The Moon Cave has a gorgeous orchestral, almost cinematic, opening. This is one of the most stacked tracks on the album, featuring Womack alongside neo-soul star Jalen N’gonda and Asha Puthli, among others. It is to Albarn’s credit that it hangs together.
The Happy Dictator is a real highlight, a perfect marriage of Gorillaz and Sparks. It is perhaps the best use of a guest artist on a Gorillaz track in some time. It manages to feel like the work of both groups simultaneously in its relentless, energetic, joyous unfolding. The Mael brothers are the perfect foil for Albarn.
At times, Albarn veers closer to the territory found on his solo works, ‘Everyday Robots’ and ‘The Nearer the Fountain’, especially on The Hardest Thing, which features drummer Tony Allen, his late bandmate with The Good The Bad and the Queen. Surprisingly for a collaboration with Idles, The God of Lying shies away from their rambunctious blend of punk and noise for something more off-kilter.
Even if it’s uneven and a tad chaotic, there is plenty to admire in what is a more introspective, quieter record from Gorillaz. The shift away from electronic and hip-hop influences towards something organic cleverly upends what we expect from them, showing there is still plenty of new ground for the project to cover.
Gorillaz Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri March 13 2026 - BRADFORD Bradford Live
Sat March 14 2026 - BRADFORD Bradford Live
Fri March 20 2026 - MANCHESTER Co-op Live
Sat March 21 2026 - MANCHESTER Co-op Live
Sun March 22 2026 - BIRMINGHAM BP Pulse Live
Tue March 24 2026 - GLASGOW OVO Hydro
Wed March 25 2026 - LEEDS First Direct Bank Arena
Fri March 27 2026 - CARDIFF Cardiff International Arena
Sat March 28 2026 - NOTTINGHAM Motorpoint Arena Nottingham
Sun March 29 2026 - LIVERPOOL M&S Bank Arena (Liverpool Echo Arena)
Tue March 31 2026 - BELFAST SSE Arena Belfast
Wed April 01 2026 - DUBLIN 3Arena
Thu April 02 2026 - DUBLIN 3Arena
Sat June 20 2026 - LONDON Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
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