28 August 2021 13:44
Gorillaz, Meanwhile
In times of pandemic and distancing, Damon Albarn has chosen to dedicate a record to one of the largest street festivals in the world. As if to remind us that without aggregation, music loses most of its strength. Meanwhile, the new ep of Gorillaz released as a surprise on August 27, is a tribute to the Notting Hill Carnival, an event that has been held since 1965 in west London, very much felt by the Afro-Caribbean community of the capital and, like many events, stopped due to covid-19. Gorillaz played there in 2000, right at Meanwhile Gardens, when they presented a song they had recently written: Clint Eastwood.
For this reason the cartoon band led by Albarn has created three pieces influenced by reggae, dancehall and even calypso sounds, hosting two rappers such as Jelani Blackman Blackman (originally from West London) and Aj Tracey (son of a man born in Trinidad and Tobago) and singer Alicai Harley, (born in Jamaica).
In short, as usual Albarn manages to combine quantity and quality. Indeed, compared to the latest Gorillaz tests (Now now e Song machine, season one: strange timez), where perhaps he had gotten a little too carried away with the guests and the obsessive search for special effects, this time the brevity of the ep format seems to be doing him a favor. The three pieces work very well, especially the first two. Having to choose one, I go up Meanwhile, a melancholy dub where Jelani Blackman floats to the verses with the help of dancehall singer Barrington Levy and leaves the chorus to 2D, Albarn’s animated alter ego. But also Jimmy jimmy, which has a period Clash-style refrain Combat rock, it is no less. Damon Albarn strikes again.
Baby Keem e Kendrick Lamar, Family ties
After breaking the silence a few days ago with a message written on the oklama.com website, Kendrick Lamar is back to rapping too. Not in a piece of his own, although according to him for the new record there will not be long to wait, but in that of his cousin, rapper Baby Keem. And for Lamar the featuring in this song almost becomes a kind of preview of what he will do.
In the text, Lamar recalls that in recent months he has been on the sidelines, avoiding having his say on major issues such as the pandemic and police violence against African Americans (but on this issue his commitment is ancient, he does not need to prove it now) and says he is ready to take back the scepter of best American rapper. He also has some for Kanye West, who “changed his life” (perhaps referring to the Chicago musician’s transition to Christian rap) while he remains “old school” and focuses on earthly possessions. Family ties it’s not bad, and Lamar’s flow is always original (listen to how he enters from minute 2.19). We just have to wait for his fourth album.
The other songs not to miss this weekend:
John Coltrane, A love supreme, pt. IV-Psalm (live)First extract from the live record recorded by Coltrane in 1965 at The Penthouse club in Seattle. Total wonder.
Big Red Machine, Phoenix (feat. Fleet Foxes & Anaïs Mitchell)The new album by Big Red Machine, the project of Aaron Dessner of National together with Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, is titled How long do you think is gonna last?. It didn’t convince me, but this song, mostly thanks to Fleet Foxes, is a delicate folk ballad with a refined melody.
Indigo de Souza, Real pain
American singer-songwriter Indigo De Souza has just released her second album, Any shape you take. His songs, where sweet guitars alternate with distorted sounds, are ironic but also subtly disturbing, like Real pain.
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