Qulture Magazine

Words: Toni Faulds

I’ve been sitting with the new Gorillaz album for a couple days now, in that slightly surreal way you do when you know most people haven’t heard it yet. And I can say this: it’s one of their most emotionally cohesive projects in years. From the opening stretch, it’s clear this isn’t chasing hits. It’s quieter. Stranger. More internal. 

From the opening track “The Mountain” we are filled with this introduction of almost european-sounding music, that sounds just like what you’d imagine playing in the background of the album cover. Its introduction within the title track is a perfect setup to draw you into the album. The next track “The Moon Cave” is definitely one of my favourites. Asha Puthli’s repeated “Love me, love me” doesn’t sound romantic, it sounds haunting. Like it’s echoing down a tunnel. Damon’s line, “To the Moon Cave, where I bought my tears”, sets the tone straight away. It’s reflective without being over the top. When he sings, “Oooh the things I swore I’d never become,” it feels like one of those brutally honest lines that sneaks up on you. There’s a running theme about endings and change. “And we all end” repeats a few times across the album, but it doesn’t feel dramatic. It feels more like acceptance.

Growing up a bit. Looking at yourself properly. Production-wise, it still sounds like Gorillaz it’s layered, slightly weird, pulling from different influences, but there’s more space. Tracks aren’t fighting for attention. Everything feels intentional.

What stands out most about this album is how cohesive it feels. It’s not a playlist-style collection of random features and sounds thrown together. It actually flows. Each track feels connected, both sonically and emotionally, and there’s a clear mood running through the whole thing. There are darker moments built around distorted bass and tension, sitting alongside softer, more minimal tracks where the production pulls back and lets the vocals carry the weight. Some songs feel restless and sharp, while others are surprisingly vulnerable. That balance is what keeps it interesting. It never feels flat, but it also never feels chaotic just for the sake of it. It’s probably not the most instantly catchy Gorillaz project, and it’s not trying to be. A lot of it grows on you. The hooks are subtle. The production has space. The emotional themes such as regret, change and endings are handled in a way that feels mature rather than dramatic. It doesn’t feel like they’re chasing trends, wanting to get viral or trying to recreate past eras.

The album also pulls in a stacked list of collaborators, with features from Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda and Black Thought, each adding something distinct without taking over the Gorillaz core. It feels considered. Focused. Like they knew exactly what kind of album they wanted to make. And in my opinion, that’s why it works.
Overall my highlight tracks from the album are:

The Moon Cave
The Happy Dictator
Delirium

These in my opinion are the ones I feel make the album and make it feel more like a Gorillaz album.