Gorillaz - Cracker Island REVIEW

7.0/10

Iconic England-based virtual band Gorillaz has returned with their new project 'Cracker Island', just shortly following their highly rated 2020 release 'Song Machine, Season One'. 'Cracker Island' is getting mixed feedback, with some saying it's one of their best works in recent times, and others saying it's one of their laziest albums to date. Although this project is fairly short, coming in at ten tracks and about thirty-seven minutes long, it took a while for me to fully digest and form an opinion on.

The album opens up on an authoritative note, with the title track "Cracker Island". Its ear-catching and strong electro synths, groovy bassline, and the vocal chemistry between Damon and Thundercat make for one of the most entertaining and engaging tracks on the album. I love the catchy chorus and dancey vibe this track offers up. Following it is "Oil", featuring singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks, most known for her work with the rock band Fleetwood Mac. The drums stand-out out the most on this track, with their punchy mix. I didn't think Stevie Nicks would fit over this instrumental, but she proved me wrong, sounding solid in harmony with Damon and flowed well over the beat. I enjoyed how the instrumental opened up during the chorus with Stevie Nicks, closes, and then comes to life again; it makes for a satisfying and appealing listen.

"The Tired Influencer" was the first track that I wasn't feeling. The Siri adlibs sound awkward and out of place, I understand that Gorillaz was going for a stylistic/unique touch with it, but it just feels unnecessary. Instrumentally, this track is bland and sleepy, while lyrically it's fairly good. There are not many songs that talk about influencer/celebrity culture, and it seems like Gorillaz wrote this from the heart. The album quickly picks up again with "Silent Running", a dense track containing punchy drums and bright synths. Although Damon's vocals lack character and energy at the beginning of the track, they quickly pick up near the end with one of his best vocal performances on the album. "New Gold" was a track I was excited for as I didn't get around to listening to it when it became a single, and the Tame Impala feature added to that excitement. Unfortunately, it wasn't as stunning as I expected, with just an indifferent instrumental that didn't seem to evolve much. On top of that, it was vocally sleepy, with rapper Bootie Brown offering up some energy at first but staying monotone throughout both of his verses.

"Baby Queen" revived the album again, with lovely light synths that sparkle in the background, and a funky bass that adds a great texture to the track. The track closes nicely at first, with the piano and hanging synths, but is suddenly and awkwardly cut off. "Tarantula" follows, a fairly dense track, with multiple layers of synths, keys, and poppy drums. Damon comes through with a solid vocal performance and melody, and great lyrics talking about how Damon will always be there for his partner, no matter how awful he's feeling: “And whisper, I'm on one percent but I'm there with you”.

Bad Bunny was by far the most surprising feature on this album following Stevie Nicks -- I was curious to see how he'd fit on a Gorillaz project. On "Tormenta", the beat fits him somewhat well, especially when the drums come in, making for a bouncy and dancey groove that matches his flow and voice well. Sadly, the track as a whole doesn’t seem to go anywhere, sounding like a snoozy B-side from Bad Bunny's 2022 release 'Un Verano Sin Ti'. "Skinny Ape" offers up a lovely deep, distorted synth that lingers throughout the track, and the synth break is solid as well. I loved the vocal effects on Damon's preaching of "ape, ape, ape, ape", as it tied into the pacing of the synth well. This track is by far the most gripping and diverting on the album. Following this is the closing track with alternative artist Beck, "Percussion Island". Although the piano is beautiful in this track, the melody and build-up remind me so much of Christian gospel music, which infuriates me greatly. Listening to this took me back to the trauma I lived through every Saturday when I had to go to church with my father. The shockingly random and unwarranted bagpipe that came in near the end kicked in my fight or flight response -- thankfully it didn't last too long. Beck does fit well on this track, but as a whole this track is an incohesive ending to such a groovy project, making for an unsatisfying ending.

The main problem with this album is its inconsistency. There are moments on this project that pull you in and moments where a track will go in one ear and out the other. From start to finish, this album is just ok, with groovy cuts here and there. If you pick it apart, however, you have a solid record.

give it a listen