Tracks of the Week: "Lake Zurich", "Sorcererz" and "Humidity" by Gorillaz

 Since their self titled album, Gorillaz have consistently found themselves in the mix of mainstream music.  The animated group has always created awesome grooves accompanied with surreal visuals. On their last album, Humanz (2017), Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett attempted something different with their sound and their visuals. The band mates came across more surreal and their sound was somewhat different than their previous releases. The reception to the new style was mixed but most could agree that it wasn't without some nice tracks for most Gorillaz fan. 

  When their new album THE NOW NOW scheduled for a release this summer, the Gorillaz decided to give us three new tracks to wet our appetites. The first of the tracks is the song Lake Zurich:

  Lake Zurich has a infectious groove with an allure that takes me back to the original reason why I initially fell for this band.  The track is mostly an instrumental with a audio sample that adds to the mysterious nature of the song. As we watch a constant spin of the members' portraits, we notice that Murdoc is missing and a new member has been added to the fold.  Murdoc is sadly locked up for smuggling (there's a campaign for #FreeMurdoc (gorillaz.com/freemurdoc) which is humerous but, due to language, meant for older Gorillaz fan.The new member's name is Ace and he may have a connection to the classic cartoon PowerPuff Girls. According to a few new sites, Murdoc is currently in jail and Ace may only be temporary.

   The second song (which was released two days ago) is Sorcererz. Similar to Lake Zurich, Sorcererz is presented with a visualiser video. The song provide some of the funky groove that is reminiscent to their work with Bobby Womack. The heavy syths and drum machine loop give you a groove that is laid back with an emotional undercurrent. The singer is pleading to the masses to hold on and not sway your inner vision to the changing tides. 

  The last  of the three recently released tracks is Humidity. This song is given a full music video that stars Jack Black and the rest of the crew on what appears to be Venice Beach. The jovial tune fits the setting perfectly and shows 2D skating around without a care in the world.  We also get a glimpse of Ace, Noodle, and Russell (and his voice actor). The feel of this song has a broader appeal than the previous two. With it's more traditional song structure, Humidity appears to has a message that easier to grasp on first listen and a summer feel good feel.  

   At the end of the day, each song presents a fresh but familiar groove that is uniquely Gorillaz. The three tracks that are released seem to hint that the group will experiment some but still stay relatively closer to the sound that has made them the fixture that they have been over the last 20 years. If you're interested in hearing more, you will not have to wait too much longer. The Now Now is scheduled to be released on June 29th 2018.