Album Of The Week: Gorillaz’s Humanz

Being a virtual band, Gorillaz definitely have a look that comes with their music. 2-D is short, lanky and goofy, Murdoc Niccals looks like a cross between Frankenstein and Keith Richards, Noodle is a petite Japanese badass and Russel Hobbs is a big and rotund drummer with a knack for transforming into various beings. Realistically, the brainchild of Blur frontman Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett have become one of the world’s most versatile acts since they entered the music realm when the hit “Clint Eastwood” got on the charts in March 2001. Their fifth album Humanz ventures into hip-hop, electronica and R&B. It shows a stellar amount of artistic variety through experimentation that makes for a fantastic record.

On the theme behind the album, Albarn says via Gorillaz’s press release: “The album kind of came from this dark fantasy. Just imagine; the weirdest, most unpredictable thing that changes everything in the world.” He might be on to something with the wide array of collaborations that are featured within Humanz. Grace Jones, Danny Brown, De La Soul and Anthony Hamilton, among others, make their talents evident. This cavalcade of artists raises the unpredictability to a new level with each track bringing something different along with conveying sneaky elements.

Artistic evolution knows no bounds and Gorillaz are an excellent example. They have the ability to go in numerous directions while achieving brilliance and not a lot of acts these days can do the same. It makes each album exciting because the senses don’t really know what to expect. There’s a musical voyage that this virtual foursome takes you on with all these twists and turns like a roller coaster. Let’s strap in, take the ride and press on the gas while examining my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week:

Noisy and new wavey, “Charger” has a distorted electro bass that anchors the entire track. Grace Jones’ voice sends chills with bombastic authority. “Momentz” is weird and catchy with De La Soul bringing a plethora of rhymes to the fray. There are three different choruses within the song that makes for an entertaining listening experience.  Keeping the weirdness going is “Carnival” that has Anthony Hamilton’s incredibly soulful voice absolutely slaying.

Gorillaz will be embarking on a tour of North America starting at the Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island in Chicago on July 8. For us New Englanders, they’ll be taking the stage at the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in Boston on July 12. Since they’re a virtual band, expect a lot of video screens and a bunch of visual art to be present. Until they come to your friendly neighborhood music venue and cause a ruckus, grab a copy of Humanz. Be prepared to be taken into musical territory that your senses rarely get to venture through.

Stream Gorillaz’s Humanz via Spotify: open.spotify.com/user/gorillaz_/playlist/0goATVQM7I86htzgzeNb7M; Gorillaz’s Website: gorillaz.com