SineSwiper wrote:Just like to point out that this album is horrible. I was already fearful when I saw the track list. People only spend that much money on extra talent when they have a huge budget and don't feel like being creative enough to actually create something decent. It's like Damon Albarn couldn't be bothered to be vocalist on most of the album.
I mean, Snoop Dogg? Seriously? I only liked the songs near the middle of the album. Some of the artists added to the music (like they did on the other albums), but for the most part, the only good songs are the ones with without featured artists.
This whole thing reminds me of that Linkin Park / Jay-Z album.
Fuck you, Snoop Dogg's the shit. He's not even a sell-out, he's just a stoner who occassionally makes a record or three. Plus he has probably the best voice in hip-hop. It's like having liquified cool dripped into your ear.
And I refute your claims about the vocals. Gorrilaz has never been a vocally-driven band, outside of just the basic sound of Albarn's voice. The lyrics are usually pretty nonsensical and, I mean, look at their albums. Most of their songs are instrumental, or headed by another vocalist, usually a rapper. Gorrilaz has never been about lyrics or Albarn himself--it's a sound collection that produces the desired imagery without words to clutter the way, or with only a few words to guide the brain.
I mean, if you dislike the more hip-hop vibe of the album, that's alright. I really dig it, because the sounds are much crisper and the songs seem far better organized and constructed that any previous Gorrilaz effort. The generally lighter tone also serves as a nice counterpoint to the rather pessimistic Demon Days album.
And, honestly, it's like an evolution off D-Sides, rather then off Demon Days itself. D-Sides is even less lyrical/vocalist driven than Plastic Beach, and most certainly is composed of more experimental songs, likely ones they toyed with before figuring out what the album's tone was going to be. Plastic Beach is the way they might have taken, but decided not to. In fact, I'd argue that it even incorporates lessons learned from Demon Days and improves upon its faults (less repetetive songs, cleaner sound, more variety). I bet Plastic Beach's B-sides (P-sides? Lol) will be even better than D-sides.