In the music industry, it’s easy for artists to get stuck on what they know works. In the age of virality and fleeting fame, keeping fans hooked has gotten more challenging. The band Gorillaz, on the other hand, proves that originality is still possible later in an artist’s career. The band’s ninth studio album, “The Mountain,” doesn’t shy away from new, exciting ideas, sending the listener on a dream-like odyssey of life and death.
Gorillaz is a virtual band whose members are replaced by four cartoon avatars in their music videos and promos. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, alongside a rotating catalog of backing musicians, make up the actual living members of the group. The band tends to dabble in multiple genres, including pop, rock, hip-hop and electronic, awarding them a highly unique sound. Over the years, Gorillaz has collected numerous accolades, including 12 Grammy Award nominations and headlining the notorious Glastonbury Festival.
“The Mountain” was released through the band’s personal label, Kong, while Sony Music distributed it. Among the band’s catalogue, this album stands out since it takes heavy inspiration from traditional Indian music and features a collection of Indian artists. The album’s lyrics pose it as a meditation on life, death and grief, a concept that was chosen after both Albarn and Hewlett’s fathers passed away. A subsequent trip to India inspired the cultural influences mixed with these themes. Multiple deceased collaborators of the band, including Dennis Hopper, Bobby Womack and David Jolicoeur, also feature on the album through archived recordings.
As a longtime fan, I found their previous album, “Cracker Island,” a bit forgettable, aside from a few catchy singles. “The Mountain” is a huge improvement on all fronts. The chorus of voices and ethereal instrumentals guide the listener through a journey to the afterlife.
My favorite song on the album is definitely “Damascus.” It starts slow and meditative, then quickly jumps into full force, transforming into an energetic piece featuring rapping in English alongside singing in Arabic. When I first heard it after it was released as a single, I was amazed since it sounded like nothing I’d ever heard in the pop or indie spheres.
“The Manifesto” is a close second favorite. The song effortlessly blends Albarn’s vocals with an upbeat, catchy instrumental. “The Happy Dictator” and “The Moon Cave” have also been heavily featured in my listening rotation.
Although I enjoyed the majority of the album, it does have a few duds. The songs that stand out are the ones that lean into the featured distinctive artists’ strengths, such as Yasiin Bey’s rapping on “Damascus.” A few songs, such as “The Plastic Guru” and “Delirium,” fall into the typical indie-pop romps fans have gotten familiar with over the years. These parts of the record aren’t bad, but the lack of commitment to the concept and the repetitiveness hold the album back from being truly great.
The album marks a new era for Gorillaz, one of spiritual guidance as opposed to their past party anthems. The core elements of the band’s style are still present, though, so fans will likely enjoy it. It resonated with me greatly, and I think the concepts explored were deeply compelling. Despite a few formulaic tracks, it’s refreshing to see a group that has been around for almost three decades still putting out new and exciting material. I look forward to whatever Gorillaz does next.
“The Mountain” can be streamed on Spotify or Apple Music. Tickets for the band’s North American tour are on sale now.
