1. "Orchestral Intro" (feat. sinfonia ViVA)
The album starts off with lead man Damon Albarn showing off the orchestral skill he displayed in “Monkey: Journey to the West,” an opera which debuted in 2007. Although only one-minute long, this track is a truly beautiful way to start the album, with seagulls and waves leading us on our way to the "Plastic Beach."
2. "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach" (feat. Snoop Dogg & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
Who else to greet us at the front door than Snoop Dogg? Chicago’s own Hypnotic Brass Ensemble takes care of a kickin’ beat as Snoop brings some smooth rap to the table, providing a great taste of the hip-hop sounds that will follow throughout the album.
3. "White Flag" (feat. Bashy, Kano & The National Orchestra for Arabic Music)
This track demonstrates that there aren’t just dramatic shifts between songs, but also in the same song. The opening features The National Orchestra for Arabic Music playing a dumbek (Arabic drum) as well as a flute, leading into violas, violins, and other exotic instruments. From out of nowhere, we’re hit with rap. Rap? The bass and drums should not blend with the peaceful music from earlier, but after both play separately, they’re merged... and it sounds magnificent. Who else but Gorillaz could pull this off?
4. "Rhinestone Eyes"
This is the first track with only Gorillaz on it, and it’s the first time we hear Damon’s voice on the album. It shows off the true Gorillaz style and it works just about perfectly. The mellow and haunting voice of 2D (the cartoon equivalent of Damon) is complimented by the spooky aura of the music. It’s hard to precisely detail this song, but, simply put, it’s great.
5. "Stylo" (feat. Mos Def & Bobby Womack)
Three Plastic Beach demo tracks were played on BBC Radio 1 by Albarn in 2009: Electric Shock, Broken, and Stylo. Stylo was the least structured of the three, meaning it had the most room for improvement. When Stylo was released as the first single (weeks before the album came out) the improvement was noticed instantly. Mos Def and Bobby Womack light this track on fire! The blending of styles is incredible.
This album gets increasingly harder to comprehend the first time you listen through it, but the more you listen, the more you can absorb the sounds and the greater the album becomes… and this is only five tracks in!
6. "Superfast Jellyfish" (feat. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul)
After the first time I heard this song, I asked myself, “What was that?!” This is easily the most bizarre track, but it is also the most fun. De La Soul returns to a Gorillaz track (the first being “Feel Good Inc” off of Demon Days), and with Gruff Rhys, even the hip-hop styles differ and merge, creating an interesting sound that works for this track/commercial for an odd breakfast treat. The more you listen, the more it grows on you.
7. "Empire Ants" (feat. Little Dragon)
Just like that, we’re brought back to a calm environment. Slow and clean sounds start this track off, and the voice of 2-D let it flow like waves hitting the shore of the beach. Two minutes in, the essence of “White Flag” is felt (in terms of shift). Little Dragon brings in a slick beat and bass with even wavier vocals. There are certain tracks that don’t stand out right away, but become one of the best after a few listens. This is one of them.
8. "Glitter Freeze" (feat. Mark E Smith)
As Murdoc Niccols (cartoon bassist of Gorillaz) put it in his online review of the album, every Gorillaz album has its moment of chaos. For the self titled first album, it’s “Punk,” for "Demon Days," it’s “White Light,” and for "Plastic Beach," it’s “Glitter Freeze.” The flurry of techno-esque keyboard and noise not too different from a powered dentist drill makes this track the craziest of the album.
9. "Some Kind of Nature" (feat. Lou Reed)
Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground comes out swinging on this track. His deeper, grittier vocals contrast, yet blend, just like the other songs, perfectly. It gets increasingly difficult to not hum or sing along to this one the more you listen to it, and that’s about all I can say.
10. "On Melancholy Hill"
Here is the "Plastic Beach" interpretation of “El Manana.” It’s the poppiest song on the album, and it’s the second Gorillaz only track. There is a lovely melody with mixtures of new sounds to create, perhaps, a masterpiece.
11. "Broken"
I expected better from this track. It was the best of the three demos released on BBC Radio 1, and after listening to what was created from “Stylo” it was incredibly exciting to imagine what “Broken” could become. Although I liked the finished product, it takes out some of the beats that made the demo as good as it was. It appears that this track was just sort of plopped onto the album because the first 10 tracks flow continuously whereas “Broken” acts more like an intermission. It’s good, but not as good as it could’ve been.
12. "Sweepstakes" (feat. Mos Def & Hypnotic Brass Ensemble)
This is basically a cluster of repetitive noise by the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Mos Def makes this track somewhat enjoyable. Without him, it may not even be considered much of a song. It may work for some people, and it hits on the “something for everybody” aspect, but it just doesn’t quite work right for me.
13. "Plastic Beach" (feat. Mick Jones & Paul Simonon)
Two of the four members of The Clash are featured on this track. On the first listen, the beauty in this track may get overlooked, but after a more detailed listen, this is where the “intermission” ends. We set sail from the land into the sea where the rest of the album sounds like it’s coming from. This is where we get a good look at the plastic materials that make up the beach. This, like “Empire Ants” grows tremendously after a few listens.
14. "To Binge" (feat. Little Dragon)
Little Dragon’s second appearance on the album makes me want to lie down on a lawn chair, stretch out, and relax while drinking lemonade. It’s a happy type of sad. As Murdoc puts it, this track is “a Hawaiian version of melancholy.”
15. "Cloud of Unknowing" (feat. Bobby Womack & sinfonia ViVA)
We near the end as the seagulls and waves return with sinfonia ViVa from the “Orchestral Intro.” Bobby Womack sets a spooky tone over an even spookier instrumental piece. It’s a reflection song. Looking into the water, you see your face and ask yourself whatever life question you may have. It is a really strong song... emotional.
16. "Pirate Jet"
The best way to describe this song is just how Murdoc says it. “'Pirate Jet' takes the album out swinging, a finale with shuddering jazz hands.” The only thing that I think could possibly be added is a “can-can” leg kick.
iTunes Deluxe Version Bonus Tracks:
17. "Pirate's Progress"
This is the “Orchestral Intro” in full, and it allows you to fully take in the beauty of the music. That’s all there is to it.
18. "Three Hearts, Seven Seas, Twelve Moons"
This is the first section of the “Electric Shock” demo. It was not finished as a stand alone track, so this is what became of it. It has a similar feel to the orchestral numbers found in The Beatles' "Yellow Submarine."
Overall, "Plastic Beach" is a superb album. It may require a few listens to fully enjoy, but this album should be enjoyed a lot. The varied sounds and vocals make this highly experimental, and that’s just how the Gorillaz are. "Plastic Beach" is a perfectly painted image of the Gorillaz style, one that always changes, and one that somehow manages to work.
As a longtime Gorillaz fan, I’ve been able to understand that to appreciate the band, you have to appreciate change. Nothing can be expected from Damon Albarn. Plastic Beach holds little resemblance to Gorillaz and Demon Days. If there is a future project, it will most likely not relate to any of the three. As far as Gorillaz fans are concerned, this is the perfect Gorillaz album.
To read Murdoc’s review of "Plastic Beach," here’s a link.
Lee Pikelny, Lincoln Park
