I never review current music, but I’m making an exception.

Gorillaz new album Humanz just dropped, and it’s very…Gorillaz.

I loved Gorillaz in high school. I grew out of it over the years, unfortunately. I was hoping that this album would revive some nostalgic vibes.

So, let’s do a quick-shot review of each track (minus the plethora of “interludes” which I’m not going to bother explaining):

1. Ascension: It’s loud, it’s crass, it’s repetitive. It’s stereoblast.
2. Strobelite: A funky track that combines 70s and 80s vibes. A little bit of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories in there.
3. Saturnz Barz: An autotuney late 90s inspired raggae vibe song.
4. Momentz: De La Soul being De La Soul. SPASTIC.
5. Submission: A 2010-esque soft pop hit with a really manic rap at the end.
6. Charger: Videogame music.
7. Andromeda: quirky synth. Background noise in one of those chic stores in the mall.
8. Busted and Blue: This album’s El Mañana.
9. Carnival: I’m a singeeeerrrrrr. I siiiiiiiing. There’s noooooissseessss.
10. Let Me Out: The theme song for some edgier street movie coming out this summer I’m sure.
11. Sex Murder Party: I think this song might be a joke? Are they ripping off Ninja Sex Party? 
12. A quirky beat with Damon Albarn’s high-as-a-kite delivery.
13. Hallelujah Money: This albums Fire Coming Out of a Monkey’s Head.
14. We Got the Power: WE BUILT THIS CITY ON….nevermind.
15. The Apprentice: Put a bunch of artists on a track, that’ll fix it.
16. Halfway to the Halfway House: What I assume it sounds like in your head when you’re halfway to the halfway house.
17. Out of Body: The number you have dialed is not in service, please hang up and try and call again.
18. Ticker Tape: Singing over royalty free tracks from the late 80s?
19. Circle of Friendz: Let’s make the album end on that happy-cry note, shall we?

Personal opinion time!

I don’t like this album. There’s a new trend in music to make really quirky, of key electronic noise. Everything is manic like the electronica days of Europop, but it’s so blown out of control that it can’t focus. It’s pitchy and weird and nothing goes well together.

On a side note, Fall Out Boy just dropped this disaster of a track. If all of the problems I’m describing were condensed into 4 minutes, this is what it would sound like.

Sometimes pot-luck works. This is not one of those times.

If you listen to an individual song enough, it can grow on you, but the album is so spastic that it doesn’t let you enjoy it. This is not an album meant to be enjoyed: this is an album meant to be heard.

Now, I’m being incredible critical of this album. I have to be: there was so much riding of album. Gorillaz have been on a downward trend, and even a death spiral lately. This is going to be their last album. It has a last album feel. It feels like a goodbye. At this point, I’m waving good bye.

Grade: C