PLASTIC BEACH

Plastic Beach by Gorillaz was my first introduction to the virtual band. The album is a masterclass of blending genres and creating fluid tracks that just seem to work perfectly. The album, for me on first listen, was a sound that I was completely accustomed to. But I think that's what made it so appealing to me. With standout songs like Empire Ants and Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach, the album does an almost mind-boggling job with its production and incorporation of artists from across all genres of the music world. I think the song that really made me fall in love with this project, and with Gorillaz as a whole was Empire Ants with Little Dragon. This song to me is perfect, my favorite Gorillaz song, and in my eyes the best song on an already amazing album. The use of drum machines and synths throughout the whole project brings a new and almost more relaxed and laid-back sound that most fans were not accustomed to at that time, but it was a refreshing, new, and interesting sound for the virtual band. This new genre-blind style of production led to the creation of one of the most experimental yet entertaining albums of the 21st century. To this day this project is still my favorite Gorillaz album, and will always stay in my favorite albums of all time.

GORILLAZ - PLASTIC BEACH

RATING - 8.2

FAVORITE TRACK - EMPIRE ANTS

GENRE - ALTERNATIVE/SYNTH POP