Three years following their last album, the British group Gorillaz is back with a new creation called Cracker Island. An opus with multiple references and surprising collaborations. Bright.
Last summer, Gorillaz ignited the We Love Green festival. The cult group had made an appointment with its French fans in the heart of the Parc de Vincennes. Less than a year following the event concert, the British formation is back, since Friday February 24, with a new album, Cracker Island. The opportunity to dive back into the psychedelic universe of the group formed in 1998 by graphic designer Jamie Hewlett and the composer of BlurDamon Albarn.
This new opus follows Song Machine Season One – Strange Timez (2020), an album which already announced the rebirth of the group, following the passables The Fall (2011) et humanz (2017). With Cracker IslandGorillaz completes a trilogy initiated in 2018 with The Now Now and embarks us on a new playground, between electronic music, pop, rock and hip hop. These genres have always nourished the creations of the quartet led by the virtual 2D character. Alongside Murdoc Niccals (bass), Russell Hobbs (drums) and Noodle (guitar), the leader of the group – embodied on stage by Damon Albarn – offers an opus that is still as close to the dystopian universe of Gorillaz. The album draws the best of the group, between various influences and featurings unexpected. A success.
A collective album
Title track taken from the first track of the album, Cracker Island announces the color with bangers electro and pop. Gorillaz inaugurates the new opus by collaborating with Thundercat. The American artist, known in particular for These Walls by Kendrick Lamar brings a touch of funk thanks to a relentless bass riff. The result is a dancing piece, ideal to launch this new creation, despite the melancholy that emerges from the texts.
It is moreover the contrast between the electrifying rhythm and the disillusioned lyrics that has always founded the universe of Gorillaz. Whether in the mixture of sounds with deep themes on the imagination, or through the various collaborations, Cracker Island catalyzes all the references of one of the most eclectic bands on the contemporary pop scene. In this regard, Damon Albarn has also defined the album at the microphone of the BBC as “the place where people with crazy ideas can live happily together”.
With this in mind, the group has invited a variety of artists to their island paradise. Among them, we find Beck on the lunar Possession IslandStevie Nicks de Fleetwood Mac on the pop tube Oil, or even Bad Bunny. The superstar co-signs Storma piece too caliente how bewitching. With this title, the members of Gorillaz take a risk by trying out sounds rarely explored in their discography.
However, this transition to Latin is largely successful, as is the piece New Gold which the quartet shares with Tame Impala. The two groups were made to work together as their psychedelic worlds blend so well. Bootie Brown’s hip-hop verses paired with electronic synthesizer themes bring freshness and compositional power to the tracklist.
The synthesizer and the piano have a great importance in this album, as evidenced by the track Silent Running in duet with Adeleye Omotayo, whose deep vocals take us into an inspiring blues universe. Fourth piece of the disc, the title reflects the importance of the collective in Cracker IslandGorillaz exceeding the features classics to bring together a veritable troupe of artists.
Comes next Baby Queen. Unveiled a few weeks ago, this track brings together everything that made Gorillaz so successful in its early days. The electro sounds, lulled by the tones of the piano, and the dreamy voice of 2D offer a heady title which recalls the most cult hits of the group such as Feel Good Inc or On Melancholy Hillrespectively taken from the albums Demon Days (2005) et Plastic Beach (2010).
Tenth and last track of the album, Skinny Ape offers an explosive finale. The diptych between acoustic guitar and electro gives way to tones tinged with rock, straight from the 1980s. An astonishing mix that perfectly represents the richness of Cracker Island.
With this new album, Gorillaz places itself at the crossroads of influences. Thanks to unexpected collaborations, inspirations drawn from a variety of genres and a virtuosity in assembling them, the quartet signs an addictive and collective pop creation on which 2D lets the naturalness of its voice shine. Great Gorillaz.
Cracker Island from Gorillaz, available since February 24, 2023.