The Waters of Cracker Island Are Shallow But Enjoyable

Written by Gordon Beck, Photo by Raph PH

Gorillaz is an act that needs no introduction. Damon Albarn – the man behind the name – has been making hits consistently for the last 30 years. In the 90s, he fronted the massively successful Brit band Blur, responsible for tunes like “Song 2.” Despite the non-descript title, you’ve heard it. Look it up. Their success can simply be described by the fact they battled chart positions with Oasis, arguably the biggest British band of the modern era. That level of achievement would satisfy most artists for an entire career, but in the early 2000s Albarn reinvented himself with his solo act Gorillaz and miraculously found even bigger success. The man went on to craft some of the most iconic alt pop tracks of all time. In 2010, he took fans on an immersive trip to the ecologically conscious Plastic Beach, and now with his new album, Cracker Island, Albarn seems to have cruises on his mind once again.

A large part of Gorillaz success can be attributed to Albarn’s choice of sounds. His songwriting is on point, no doubt about it, but what makes his tracks iconic years later is the fact that every element in his compositions are exceedingly memorable. It reminds me of the music and sound design of Star Wars. Not that Gorillaz sounds anything remotely like Star Wars, but they share in the fact that both mediums struck gold in the details. The sound department poured their creativity into making sounds that burned themselves into our memories and frankly couldn’t be compared to anything else. Gorillaz does the same. The laughing and vocalizations in “Feel Good Inc.” The harmonica and rapping on “Clint Eastwood.” The synth choices on “Rhinestone Eyes” and “On Melancholy Hill.” Albarn crafts and combines sounds that stick in the subconscious. 

Unfortunately, this component seems to have taken a backseat - or maybe just not landed as intended - on Cracker Island. The album drips with the essence of a beachy, dreamy, getaway vacation, perfect for a reprieve from the depression of mid-winter months, but the tracks largely sound like typical synth pop ballads. Nothing jumps out like a track off of Demon Days or Gorillaz’s other earlier works. There are a handful of impressive features on the album – Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, and Stevie Nicks of all people – and while hearing them alongside Albarn’s singing and instrumentals is interesting, there is a want for the contributions to be more substantial. 

All that being said, there are far worse picks for an easy listening odyssey. Albarn still delivers with catchy songwriting and infectious beats. The title track is one of the funkiest things Gorillaz has released in years, and while the same highs of past works are never reached, tracks like “Baby Queen,” “Tarantula,” and “Skinny Ape” have a lot of the same color woven in. If you want a sunny getaway from the cold and slush, then Cracker Island is your ticket.