My Thoughts on Phase 8 of Gorillaz

The music: So, I wasn't super excited for this album after Cracker Island...It was a good album, yes, but not by Gorillaz standards ._. So when I heard the Copper Box leaks in October, I was pleasantly surprised...but not by much. I mean, I really thought it was better than Cracker Island, I would have rated it an 8 out of their 9 studio albums!

So, with that background, listening to the studio recordings has been such an amazing surprise!!! They sound so much better. I CANNOT stop listening to the Moon Cave and Delirium. You can really tell Damon put a lot of care into this one. There's so much texture and so many layered instrumentals/sounds/samples that just weren't in Cracker Island. I think the only songs I don't care for are The Plastic Guru and Casablanca, but I think they'll grow on me! And knowing Demascus is a reused Plastic Beach song (omg i went so crazy when i heard sunday monday in the beginning) I seriously think The Sweet Prince is a revamped song from The Now Now, as well as Delirium being from Plastic Beach as well. When I listened to the leaks, I called The Sweet Prince "Idaho 2" because I couldn't remember the name XD I mean it sounds so much like it, there's even sirens in the background like Lake Zurich has! Anyways seriously I would consider this album to complete a trilogy with Demon Days and Plastic Beach. It's just so good!!! Sorry self-titled...you're still my 4th favorite...

The art: It's the same with the music, there's so much more detail and care than there was with Phase 7, I think because Jamie is prioritizing quality over quantity. I'm looking at the print and sticker sheet I got from the listening party above my laptop right now and it's just so freaking good, I forgot how much I looked up to Jamie's art. The colours and the composition are just so great. He could do away with that smirk he keeps putting on noodz tho XD she looks mischievous like her uncle murdy. It's really cool seeing the band doing stuff on vacation and I think the art he made of the Hindu gods is AWESOME!!! My favourite is the one of Kali (i hope that's the right one, she has her tongue out and a trident in one of her four arms) she just looks so freaking cool!!

The events: OMG!!! The events for this one!!! I remember listening to the Humanz listening party via someone streaming on YouTube, and getting extra posters and stuff when I bought Cracker Island on release, but they went sooo above and beyond this phase!!! First I loved the listening party so much. It was so nice getting goodies and getting to listen to the album for the first time with so many fans (and in full uninterrupted, like Damon and Jamie wanted.) I loved how many areas they let participate. And the Moon Cave in theaters...wow...I think it's their most impressive music video yet. I loved seeing it and the documentary in theaters (that I really hope they release on youtube or something!!) seriously at both events it was so hard not to cry, it was so good...Even tho I was running off an hour of sleep, I also loved store hopping early in the morning to get each store's variant of the album XD I got the red vinyl at target, the regular black one + normal CD from Barnes & Nobles, tried to get a variant from urban outfitters (they didn't have it) and picked up my white label from the listening party, the yellow vinyl and the deluxe CD at the record store...4 vinyl and 2 CDs total, I didn't even wanna add up how much I was spending but with that and getting tickets for the tour XD I'm flat broke!

The virtual band: Well, my only complaint, as always, is the lack of content from the virtual band. No audio interviews or shorts or anything :( It makes me sad we're seeing less and less of the actual band, but I will say that a few of the written interviews were good!! The Spill magazine interview was the best they've had in a long while. It was very in character! But I do miss the band...One upside though is no lore or huge story. I think I have an unpopular opinion here but I really do not like the lore!!! My favorite is like in phase 1 and 2 where the only real lore is just the band doing things a band would do. But that's just me...

Anyways that was my review of Gorillaz Phase 8!!! Best phase album since phase 5 in my opinion (maybe even phase 4...maybe even...phase 3 O_O) but that's just my opinion XD if anyone wants to discuss or share theirs let me know in the replies!!! Peace

~ Tanker Niccals (#1 GoRiLLaZ fangirl!!!)