The Daily Spin, February 27
Gorillaz | Cracker Island
Welcome back to the Daily Spin, the series in which I review 365 albums during 2023.
Each album will be given a rating on a scale from 0 to 10. You can look at the entire set here. Additionally, you can check out a list of my favorite song from each album right here.
If you want to suggest an album, good news! You can do so right here!
Album: Cracker Island (2023)
Artist: Gorillaz
Link:
There’s a tweet I love that describes Gorillaz and their music quite well.
It’s not meant as a dig, it’s just… how it is sometimes. A lot of the time. Unfortunately, on this album, one where I think there was more opportunity to deviate from that format, we find ourselves with much the same Gorillaz as before - and despite a fresh coat of paint, it’s still the same car underneath.
Features like Tame Impala, Beck, Bad Bunny, Thundercat, and Stevie Nicks aren’t afforded their due opportunity to shine nearly as much as I wish they were, with a lot of their songs feeling just a bit like wasted potential. Eight albums in, and it feels like they haven’t quite balanced the flow of a feature with the innate workings of this band, and it’s a big misstep, the biggest on the record.
At heart, it’s not a bad album, but it’s one that feels tried and true, played out so many times that the needle is wearing thin on the record and the grooves aren’t running the way they used to.
Rating: 6.3/10
Best Tracks: Baby Queen; Tormenta
Worst Tracks: Cracker Island