On the run up to their eagerly awaited album The Mountain, virtual band Gorillaz have shared a 4th new single ‘Damascus’ featuring new collaborator Syrian music legend Omar Souleyman and returning collaborator Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def) who previously featured on their renowned Plastic Beach album.
In typical Gorillaz style ‘Damascus’ pushes the limits of a conventional single, while more comfortably occupying this role than its preceding singles. Maintaining a more energetically dense and self- contained snippet of the album to come. Damascus avoids straying too deep into the waters of a commercial sound, but its sonic complexity is so irresistible that I couldn’t resist repeated listens.
The intro begins with a vast expanse of string-like pad synths punctuated with a sporadic arpeggiated synth melody that lulls you into a nostalgic haze while the crisp digital reverb pulls you above the clouds. You are then launched right into the verse, bursting at the seams with layers upon layers of production, from a bounding drum machine to a bilingual call and response. This leaves the impression of a texturally thick production in some ways lacking from their recent albums. When the chorus arrives, the lyrical repetition of “New arrival, fresh survival” amongst the dynamic soundscape maintains the energy and focus of the song which then elevates it.
‘Damascus’ sets a promising tone for The Mountain, of a refreshed creative collective with ambitions to build on from where Plastic Beach left off.
The Mountain releases February 27th.
“Gorillaz and Jamie Hewlett” by gigijin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.