Plastic Beach- Gorillaz

Not what you were expecting.

This CD kicks off with an orchestral intro that sets a precedent for the somber mood of the rest of the CD. Snoop Dogg's contribution to the album is mediocre at best, thankfully Mos Def sets the record straight with Sweepstakes. If you were expecting Demon Days part II, this isn't it. Gorillaz have shifted their focus from rap to a much moodier, more melancholy sound,which is interrupted by occasional energetic tracks such as Rhinestone Eyes. It's not a big surprise that the shift is so drastic considering that the CD was originally meant to merely be presented by Gorillaz. The other half to this, is that most of the tracks sound like Gorillaz stepped back and watched while the guest-stars (Mark Smith, Little Dragon Etc.) took the spotlight.

Tracks:
1. Orchestral Intro (feat. sinfonia ViVA)- This track starts with the sound of waves and the calls of seagulls. This is onlt the beginning of the beach references that are made throughout the rest of the CD. The intro does not have much substance but sets up an excellent build up for Snoop Dogg's track.

2. Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach (feat. Snoop Dogg & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)- The most disappointing song on the album. Snoop feels aloof from the beat (except for a short stint from 2:04-2:20). The most obvious problem is the lack of variety in this song. It feels monotonous from beginning to end. Thankfully this disappointing start is not reflected by the rest of the CD.

3. White Flag (feat. Bashy, Kano & The National Orchestra for Arabic Music)- An excellent introduction by The National Orchestra provides a perfect intro for Bashy and Kano. The flutes and drums give way to a strong beat that both of the rappers use to play a lyrical game of tag. The playful back and forth that these two rappers create mirrors the intro, and in fact The Orchestra makes its triumphant return at 2:44 and play the song out in a fitting manner.

4. Rhinestone Eyes- This song is easily my favorite song on all of Plastic Beach and it is 100% Gorillaz. Damon Albarn finally takes center stage and he certainly makes an effort to make this sound like what his fans were expecting. What really makes this song is the drop at 0:52. At this point the song picks up in strength and Albarn seems much more confident. Just a great track overall.

5. Stylo (feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womack)- Mos Def and Bobby Womack make their debut and it certainly makes up for the mediocre performance by Snoop Dogg. While it is not the strongest track on Plastic Beach, it still is very solid. Womack's voice is what completes the track. This is one intense dude and he really puts everything hes got out there.

6. Superfast Jellyfish (feat. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul)- The ridiculously silly intro eventually gives way to a solid rap track. Rhys and De La Soul stick to the beat much better than Snoop or Mos Def and it pays off. The rap portions are separated by an intensely happy chorus making this one of the catchiest tunes on the album.

7. Empire Ants (feat. Little Dragon)- This track opens up in a very relaxed manner. The singing takes a backseat to the beat which winds its way up to a climax about halfway through the song. At this point the vocals come back into the spotlight and the song plays through to completion led by Little Dragon.

8. Glitter Freeze (feat. Mark E Smith)- Glitter Freeze starts with a fairly deep synth and some strong bass behind it. When the second synth breaks in the song gets much more energetic. Thankfully at about the time that the constant blaring produced by said synth gets unbearable the song tapers off.

9. Some Kind of Nature (feat. Lou Reed)- Lou Reed makes a very strong showing here. By far the best collaborator on the album, Reed brings it back to feeling more like something off of Demon Days. Returned is the airiness of songs like 19-2000, and Albarn's backup vocals don't hurt either.

10. On Melancholy Hill- Once again, the song that is solely Gorillaz shines. By far one of the strongest tracks on Plastic Beach. The laid back feel of the song combined with Albarn's voice helps to create a serene calm. Perfect for relaxing after a long day.

11. Broken- Gorrilaz seems to be in a bit of a funk. The energy that was present in Rhinestone Eyes has been replaced by the relaxed feel that started way back on Empire Ants. Not a bad track though, and see if you can catch the reference to another song on the track during the first half of the song.

12. Sweepstakes (feat. Mos Def & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)- Mos Def really comes in strong on this track. A solid performance by both featured artists give this song a solid base to go off of. It's poppy sound moves it away from the proceeding few tracks and although the song begins to lose its feel towards the end, Hypnotics Brass Ensemble brings it back.

13. Plastic Beach (feat. Mick Jones & Paul Simonon)- The song begins with a sense of serious finality that would be more appropriate for a standoff in some crappy western. The keyboard soon cuts in and provides a solid background for the vocals that take center stage.

14. Cloud of Unknowing (feat. Bobby Womack & sinfonia ViVA)- Womack does it again. His haunting voice is given some help by the lonely, reverberating synth (courtesy of sinfonia ViVA) that warbles its way through the background. Very solid song.

15. Pirate Jet- Gorillaz plays their final solo track. Not a whole lot of substance here, but that does not detract from it too much. A little more variety would have been nice, but the relative shortness of the song keeps it from getting boring.

16. Pirate's progress- Not much to say here, it's a pretty enough sounding track, but it really isn't in keeping with the rest of the album. The song's real effect is to bring the album full loop, ending it just as it began.

17. Three Hearts, Seven Seas, Twelve Moons- More or less the second half of Pirate's Progress. A little baton passing between the trumpets and the flutes ends the album on a playful note, but once again, this really does not sound like something that would be expected on a Gorillaz CD and I'm a little disappointed that they didn't provide a stronger close.