Album Review: Gorillaz – The Mountain
4 min read
I’ve been into Damon Albarn’s work since way before I saw one of the first Gorrillaz live gigs at a festival – Creamfields, August 2001. Whilst being amazed at the live band performing behind a backlit screen, with projected cartoon visuals from the other side, I do remember thinking how the cartoon band concept would be a short-lived phenomenon… how wrong was I!? I’ve been into most of the work from this side project of Damon’s ever since – the refusal to plateau, mixing the melancholy feel with dubstep, hip-hop & pop… plus whatever else he thinks might (and often does) work. The Mountain, released via Kong, promises more evolution, rather than more of the recent trend of nostalgia-bait – with Albarn using clips from previous collaborators who have since moved on from the confines of this physical realm, this promises to be as much a eulogy as it is a confirmation that this “side project” was always much more than just a side project, but more a labour of evolving love and a spiritual homage to those who are no longer with us. Let’s take a deep dive into this… I cannot wait!!
Bansuri flutes and sitars greet you in the opening track, The Mountain, leaving you in no doubt, as the Tablas and Sarod’s kick in, that this is somewhat a spiritual journey, with posthumous vocals of acting legend Dennis Hopper guide you to the end of this track – magical. The Moon Cave next, with a more ‘classical’ Gorillaz vibe of electric dub beats over layers of live strings and Albarn’s vocals, with some of the sadly departed Bobby Womack interwoven , along with Dave Jolicoeur’s post-humous rapping added, which does work as a good break in the track, and this is followed by The Happy Dictator which has a great upbeat electro-melancholy feel to it. The Hardest Thing (featuring the drumming of long-time collaborator, and dearly departed, Tony Allen), has some very moving lyrics about having to say goodbye at thee end – which seems very poignant – with some beautiful Bansuri and synth horns added, which flows into Orange County beautifully, with a great lyrical crossover into the track, which has a soul-rousing quality to it, with great mix of synths, sitar and a whistling hook which totally works. The God of Lying features Idles, and changes the vibe of the beat in a heavier, slower trip-hop track, which contrasts with The Empty Dream Machine – seeing a return of the sitar, in a thoroughly somber track, where the layered rap (for me) didn’t really work.
The Spanish language and posthumous vocals of D12 rapper Proof in The Manifesto in this upbeat Bhangra beat track, weaves into an entirely hip—hop banger, while The Plastic Guru, is almost Gorillaz-classically electro minimal in a way only The Gorillaz can do, with some great sitar work woven in as the track builds throughout, while Delerium builds from somber choral minimalism, to post-punk’s Mark E. Smith posthumous vocals over punchy beats, and the synth-tuned, Daft Punk-esque vocals of Damascus that lead to a wild Arabian hip-hop beats mixed with synths and beats and vocals of Omar Souleyman mixed layered in with the English lyrics from Mos Def’s Yasiin Bey. The Shadowy Light sees a (welcome) return to Indian sounds and the lyrics of the legendary Asha Bhosle, in what I think is one of the strongest tracks in a sea of strong offerings, while Casablanca provides a moodier, slower, synthier track, and penultimate track The Sweet Prince uses the bansuri flute well. We conclude almost as we began, with The Sad God using a more 8-bit electro version of the opening track melodically, in what turns into a great swing-style closing track which weaves in elements of said first track to provide a magnificent book end to the offering.
It’s obvious I loved The Mountain. The art of weaving the posthumous recordings in with the tracks was very moving tribute to those who had contributed and are no longer with us, plus the tracks which used the Indian instruments and vocals, added an air of spirituality that resulted in lifting this album above most albums I have reviewed. When you mix in the innovation of Albarn with the dub and synth beats, this was always going to be an absolute winner… my only wish would have been that the entirety of thee album focused on the weaving of Gorillaz sounds with the Indian classical sounds of the bansuri and sitar… and obviously Asha Bhosle’s heavenly vocals. But I’m being greedy. This was a masterclass in mixing the more exotic sounds (from the perspective of the Western ear) with the dub and trip-hop that have been ever present in my musical journey – and without a doubt, this album is a musical journey – one that I implore every reader to undertake and appreciate the craftsmanship. All from a flipping side project!!
