Plastic Beach

Clash - "An intoxicating cocktail of musical styles and pioneers, PLASTIC BEACH is instantly recognisable as a Gorilla album..." Rolling Stone - 3.5 stars out of 5 -- "PLASTIC BEACH, Gorillaz's third excellent album in a row, is all Albarn -- he writes the tunes, produces, sings, plays most of the music and gets people on the phone for left-field cameos..." Pitchfork - "[The] group's most affecting an uniquely inviting album....A loose environmental-song cycle warning against disposability." Spin - "Albarn's love of 'Waterloo Sunset' poignancy adds emotional weight..." Entertainment Weekly - "Womack brings an organic jolt to the mentholated Casio cool of 'Stylo,' while the sparse, glitchy base of 'White Flag' is embroidered with brilliant threads of bhangra." Mojo - Ranked #26 in Mojo's "The 50 Best Albums Of 2010" -- "[Gorillaz] breathed new life into the idea of pop music as intelligent and knowing..." Uncut - Ranked #18 in Uncut's "The 50 Best Albums of 2010" -- "[A] witty, profound, star-studded ecodrama."

The brainchild of iconic singer Damon Albarn and Tank Girl co-creator Jamie Hewlett, Gorillaz are made up of mysterious and imaginative cartoon characters. While the image is powerful, it is the music that has ultimately made this project such a multi-million selling success. Albarn's ability to diversify musically shows no signs of slowing down on 'Plastic Beach', the follow-up to 2005's 'Demon Days'. Collaborations with Snoop Dogg, Gruff Rhys, De La Soul, Little Dragon and more make this a truly special album.|

ブラーのデーモン・アルバーンを中心とするヴァーチャル・バンド、ゴリラズの新たな本拠地は、どの大陸からももっとも離れた海上に浮かぶ廃材や残骸で出来た島。その秘密基地に、スヌープ・ドッグ、ルー・リード、ボビー・ウォーマック、デ・ラ・ソウルなどジャンルも世代も超越した客人を招いて繰り広げた乱痴気パーティーの記録が本作だ。寄せ集めの土地に多彩なゲストがひしめいているのだから当然サウンドも賑やかで、エレクトロとヒップホップとロックとオーケストラが平然と同居している。それでも不思議と祝祭めいた統一感があるのは、全編に<ポップであれ！>という意志が強烈に働いているからだ。終末的な人工ビーチに鳴り響く無節操でジャンクな音楽は、痛快なほどポジティヴで力強い。
bounce (C)北爪啓之