Virgin Records
Gorillaz // The Fall

Dubbed by The Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful virtual band, Gorillaz has accomplished yet another great feat with their newest album, The Fall. Recorded over 32 days during the band’s North American tour from Montreal to Vancouver, the entire album was written and performed using the iPad and a few other instruments. This album seems to be a return to the band’s original direction of mixing the sounds of dub, hip-hop, pop and alternative rock styles in an eclectic and cohesive way.

Unlike the album Demon Days, The Fall is not lyric- heavy, but emphasizes the music. Many parts of this album sound a bit like slow melodic techno music, relying heavily on instrumentation — seen best in the first track, “Phoner to Arizona.”

Every title is an ode to whichever American city Gorillaz played in while recording the single. The lyrics describe the cities, but more impressively, the songs also musically embody their cities. For example, “Shy-town,” an ode to Chicago, has a hip-hop influence, whereas “Detroit” is a mix of the sounds of hip-hop and old-school Motown music.

The sweet surprise and best song of the album is “Bobby in Phoenix,” a collaboration between Gorillaz and Bobby Womack, a well-known R&B and soul artist. This particular song is as much dependent on the music as it is on the lyrics. Gorillaz has collaborated with Womack in the past on a song called “Stylo,” but this time around Gorillaz plays second fiddle to him, allowing the R&B vocals to shine.

The Fall gives an interesting look into the life of the band, inviting the listener to experience the sights and sounds of Gorillaz’s North American tour. While behind the scenes concept albums have been done before, the most innovating aspect of this album is the creativity in instrumentation and creation — it was written and performed using an iPad. If you want to hear Gorillaz challenge the conventions of today’s music world propelling towards the future, then this album is for you.