Album Review: Gorillaz, The Mountain

As Gen X’s leading musical talents progress into late middle age, many are now noticeably addressing themes of mortality. Following on from Dave Grohl’s grief-stricken reflections on the Foo Fighters’ 2023 album But Here We Are, Gorillaz’ The Mountain features a number of emotionally raw moments from frontman Damon Albarn, whose father passed away in 2022.

The opening title track contains some mystical ruminations from the late screen legend Dennis Hopper, just one of many deceased Gorillaz collaborators whose spectral presence haunts the record, with Albarn digging into his archives to utilise old recordings. Other faithful departed to appear include soul icon Bobby Womack on the sumptuous electro-pop of ‘The Moon Cave’; celebrated drummer Tony Allen on the melancholy soundscape of ‘The Hardest Thing’; and The Fall’s Mark E. Smith, who imbues the thumping ‘Delirious’ with some characteristic spiky attitude.

The Mountain also features some of Albarn’s most moving lyrics, with the intense anguish of loss most starkly laid bare on ‘Orange County’, where he sings, “I don’t know if I can take this anymore / So why are you trying to break me?”

Elsewhere, the singer works his famously extensive contacts book to wonderful effect, with several memorable contributions from Johnny Marr, as well as synth-pop duo Sparks (‘The Happy Dictator’) and punk crew Idles (‘The God Of Lying’).

Rounding off with the plaintive waltz of ‘The Sad God’, The Mountain proves Gorillaz most intense and affecting work to date.

8/10