It is clear Gorillaz want their work to be timeless.ĭamon Albarn has an infamous knack for choosing collaborators, and with the release of Humanz, it has become clearer than ever what Gorillaz truly are. With the era that Humanz has been born into being so politically turbulent, it is easy to draw parallels between the themes on the album and certain recent elections and referendums, yet Damon Albarn has edited out all mentions of current political figures in an attempt to disassociate the album with only one period of time. This is Gorillaz’ punchiest record yet – it’s a musical journey through a party on the night before the world ends, before everything is turned upside down, the impossible becoming real. Sonically, Humanz is a great departure from Plastic Beach. It’s an interesting choice it’s evident that this is intended to show the ongoing maturity of the characters and Gorillaz’ constant change of style, but it almost feels cheap, and isn’t nearly as powerful as other Gorillaz art. This is reflected on the cover of Humanz 2D, Murdoc, Russell and Noodle feature in the same iconic four-block design that was made famous by Gorillaz’ 2005 album Demon Days, but this time the band members look more like real people rather than cartoon characters. It’s been seven years since the release of Gorillaz’ smash hit album Plastic Beach, and Jamie Hewlett’s colourful cartoon creations have all undergone transformations.

Gorillaz’ first proper album in seven years, featuring a galaxy of guest stars, effectively re-boots their sound for 2017, though it’s not as distinctive as it once was.

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