Narc. Magazine Online
Reliably informed
Ikenna Offor discovers a reflective and sprawling new release from Gorillaz
Kong Studios
Released: 27.02.26
Gorillaz’s latest outing finds Damon Albarn in reflective, oddly devotional mode, sculpting a record that feels both sprawling and claustrophobic. The title track opens with austere grandeur, its slow build and choral textures evoking a yatra that never quite reaches transcendence. Elsewhere, The Plastic Guru pivots sharply, serving up sly satire over twitchy electro. The real emotional anchor though is The Sad God, a bruised, late-night hymn that forgoes the band’s signature irony for fragile confession.
Throughout, the production – by turns vibrant, surreal and whimsical – is dense but patient, rewarding close listening. If the album occasionally feels overburdened by its own esoterisms, its best moments remind you that Albarn remains masterful at turning doubt, dread and curiosity into compelling pop.
