Gorillaz - The Now Now

Gorillaz - The Now Now (2018)

Genre: Electropop, Synth Funk

After their somewhat disappointing release of Humanz during the previous year, Gorillaz came back with a much more musically coherent and enjoyable album this time around. This album is being reviewed per request. As a reminder, I do not intend for this to be a really in-depth and complex review. I'm just sharing my quick personal thoughts on the album. As for any album review I will do, I try to be objective without letting any personal bias get too much in the way of the final grade.

I was left somewhat bummed out Humanz. It's ludicrous amount of guest artists and much more pronounced electronic influences made it feel less like a Gorillaz album, and more like a compilation of ideas by different artists. I'm glad to see that The Now Now sees a much more humble return to form, for the most part. Only two out of the eleven tracks here feature guest artists, and that's incredibly refreshing. I can certainly say that I was coming into this album with some high hopes after having heard a few of the single released prior to this record, with Tranz being one of my favorites, with it's dream-like vibes and esthetic. 

Surprisingly, for a band that is known for its hip-hop influences, there is a distinct lack of it on this record. Hollywood is the only track here that really fits that bill, featuring a much appreciated and laid-back performance by Snoop Dogg. It was probably for the best, as I thought it was one of the weaker tracks here. For the most part, a lot of the tracks on this album are surprisingly laid back and have a somewhat melancholy tone to them. The closing track Souk Eye is perhaps one of the "prettiest" songs to come out of the Gorillaz' discography, even as it starts transitioning into "disco" territory near the end. I can't say that these are the sort of vibes I expected out of a Gorillaz album, but I can't complain.

Similarly to Souk Eye, Idaho is a mostly acoustic track that proves how Damon Albarn doesn't need to make use of heavy studio experimentation to make a pretty great Gorillaz song, and still have it sound like an actual Gorillaz track. Lake Zurich is an incredibly synth heavy dance track which, surprisingly, features no real vocals aside from some seemingly spoken word interjections thrown in. Fire Flies is another highlight, featuring some satisfying syncopated vocal delivery and slow, but funky synth groove.

There are certainly no shortage of good tunes on here and while not the most musically diverse of their records, this album does well in combining funk, synth-pop, dance and soul into a short and sweet package. It's quite possible that after the release of Humanz, this may not necessarily be the return to form that most Gorillaz fans were hoping for, but it's certainly a welcome entry into their discography. Hopefully, Damon will take some of the good ideas on here, expand upon them and eventually give us a true Gorillaz album once again, one that mixes said good ideas with some quality hip-hop, in the same vain as Demon Days.

A-

Favorite tracks: Tranz, Idaho, Lake Zurich, Fire Flies, Souk Eye

Least Favorite Track: Sorcererz