VGRC, The Zangaroa Blog - Click Here to Return to the Home Page

At first glance, Damon Albarn's Gorillaz side project comes off as a novel gimmick: A virtual band composed of fictional animated characters with their own crazy and intricate backstories. Their self-titled debut effort, while a fun outing, did nothing to dispel those first impressions, as the band cruised around in animated Jeeps on Cartoon Network to the tune of catchy pop songs. So imagine my surprise when I finally gave Demon Days a look last winter.

Unlike its predecessor, Demon Days is a far more serious outing, both musically and lyrically. A very concept album loosely centered around a scathing critique of Western society, Demon Days is a much more thought-provoking release, underlit with themes such as commercialism, greed, war and isolation. And I do say "loose," as there is no underlying story or narrative here, with many of the lyrics intentionally left vague and open to interpretation, as if inviting the listener to think heavily about what was just said.

However, it's the musical composition, courtesy of Albarn's trade of previous producer Dan the Automater for new producer Danger Mouse, that holds the theme together. The j-poppy happy-go-lucky hip-hop arrangements of the first Gorillaz outing aren't quite out, but rather have gone through a complete overhaul, coming out the other end an even more eclectic mix of electronic beats and drum and bass rhythms peppered generously with so many guest artists it will make your head spin. In fact, one only has to watch the companion DVD release, Demon Days: Live At The Manchester Opera House to see the true complexity behind the album at work. Albarn and Danger Mouse are more the background ringleaders of a musical circus, more or less coordinating the efforts of dozens of contributors, taking the Gorillaz far beyond their initial scope of "virtual band with a guest-starring rapper now and then." It is this borderline-orchestra that keeps the album treading new ground with each track, never repeating itself but at the same time staying close to the aforementioned lyrical themes.

After a brief instrumental intro, Demon Days doesn't take long to jump right into the dark, dealing with isolation in "Last Living Souls," which sets the tone for the rest of the album, establishing the listener as a helpless member of a depressingly hopeless society, a theme which continues relentlessly through the next several tracks. One of these, "Dirty Harry," is the musical sequel to the earlier Gorillaz hit "Clint Eastwood," though lyrically it is much darker: A desire for childhood innocence juxtaposed with a damning condemnation of war-mongering political leaders, the former presented by a children's choir and the latter brutally spat at you by Bootie Brown.

The album does stray from it's serious tone about 3/4 of the way through. Famous alcoholic Shaun Ryder guests on "DARE", slurring his way through what is otherwise a hip dance track. And then there's "White Light," an ecstasy-driven club beat so intense that if you close your eyes, you swear you can see the strobe lights.

Right after this "dance intermission," however, is the album's downright amazing conclusion, beginning with a spoken-word narrative by Dennis Hopper entitled "Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head;" a short depressing tale that should immediately draw some real-world parallels for anybody that at least has a couple brain neurons still firing. It's this bit that leads into the grand finale, combining piano, a string section, a gospel choir and Albarn's own anguished voice that ties together all the themes of a very dark and depressing album and guides the listener to the distant light at the end of the tunnel; a day when these "Demon Days" may finally be over.

Despite their cartoonish appearance and pop appeal, Demon Days proves that the Gorillaz is far more of a deep and serious project than it gets credit for, and backs up its bark with an ever-varying musical ensemble that pushes the already unique envelope it creates.


- Buy "Demon Days" on Amazon.com