Toni Ortivez
The Paw Print
As the school semester winds down, there will be songs that remind us of the past year and fun times with friends. Summer becomes a time to create new memories and to discover new music. Concerts will inevitably be attended, and radios blared around friends. However, what songs will be classified this summer as epic or classic?
When it comes to music, we tend to stick to music we like and bands that have never let us down. Music done by such artists as Gym Class Heroes, Usher, Rage Against the Machine, Offspring, Cassie, Gorillaz, and many more are on numerous students’ lists of music to live by. Rarely do artists cross over into different genres and become successful in multiple areas.
In such a situation, we look at the artists’ previous works and judge whether or not to listen to them based on their success or their sound. However, this spring the Gorillaz released their new album Plastic Beach in such a scenario. The new cd has collaborations with Most Def, Snoop Dogg, and other artist who diverge greatly from previous Gorillaz music. Even though the Gorillaz have had connections to other genres, the band has always had its own distinct sound.
For most people, the English-based band has always had hits that we catch ourselves dancing to or humming along with. Songs such as “Dirty Harry,” “Clint Eastwood,” “Feel Good Inc.,” and “Dare” have been among the most successful songs produced by this band. The Gorillaz have been a reliable source of summer hits to help us remember our adventures. However, for this new cd that may not be the case.
As a follow up to Demon Days, Plastic Beach was released March 3 of this year and has sixteen songs for fans to enjoy or criticize. Overall, the cd is not as successful in sound as their previous two and doesn’t seem worth purchasing. There are some good beats and lyrics, but rarely do the two appear in the same song. Their once-distinct sound has transformed into some muddled version of its previous self.
The distinct change in style, whether due to the collaborating artist or the heavy use of orchestral music, leaves a feeling of uncertainty. After fully listening to the songs, it becomes apparent that the band is not in the same area of music as they once were. Even though the band itself will be loved by many and disliked by others, it’s one thing to like the music because of the band rather than the music itself.
This new cd may need to grow on the listener, but that may take more time than one would want to dedicate to a single cd. It leaves a feeling of disappointment to have such high hopes for a band and for them to diverge from a successful sound. However, because there are many different tastes in music, you might find it worth your time, but note, it is nothing like Gorillaz previous works.
I completely disagree. In my opinion, this is Gorillaz’ best album yet. They have matured greatly since their last release. Their songs are no longer too pop-y and catchy, but sophisticated and intriguing. Just because they have no radio-hit songs on this album, does not mean it should be dismissed as “not worth purchasing.”
I like this article. It’s more interesting than the results of athletic games, especially games that I had no part in. It’s nice to read articles with a more relaxed topic. This is a site that I’ll be revisiting.