Down from the mountains of India and as a result of a spiritual trip for Gorillaz’s co-creators Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett comes the animated band’s ninth studio album, The Mountain, an hour-long record that tackles themes of grief, loss, and the afterlife.
An ambitious album, The Mountain starts off strong with most of the album’s best songs packed into the first 30 minutes of listening. The Moon Cave, Orange County, and The Happy Dictator are Gorillaz at their best, with clever hooks, killer guest performances, and production that’s nothing short of incredible, blending Gorillaz’s signature electronic pop with beautiful Indian instrumental influences. The guest performances also bring in a mix of different languages such as Arabic, Hindi, Yoruba, and Spanish, which made for a fun surprise on the first listen.
What made these tracks so unforgettable were their ability to turn Gorillaz into something more than just an animated band with fun music. They turned grief into something vibrant, fun, and memorable. It’s something I wish the tracks nearing the end of the album would’ve also nailed.
For all of its highs though, The Mountain feels too long. Long albums have never been an issue for Gorillaz, with their newer records falling around that 40 minute range. The Mountain is just too inflated. Too many songs that run too long, and too many featured artists. Literally every song on this album after the opening title track has a featured artist. This 15-track album is only two minutes shorter than the band’s 2017 album, Humanz (Deluxe), and that album has twenty-seven songs. Songs like The Manifesto, The Shadowy Light, The Plastic Guru, and The Empty Dream Machine go on for far longer than their welcome. It almost feels a little ironic for an album that’s so preoccupied with grief and endings refusing to end itself. By the 40-minute mark, I found myself checking the runtime more than actually sinking into the music.
The Mountain is a fascinating piece of work. Whether that fascination takes away from its true enjoyment is up for the listener to decide. As I found it, The Mountain was worth the climb for all its beautiful views, even if I was exhausted by the descent.
