The Song Machine continues to churn out new material with seemingly no rhyme or reason -- in fact, some might say the process has been a madcap and unpredictable ride lined with unexpected guests and old friends. No surprise there, as that's exactly how Gorillaz roll. We've already seen the highly creative musical brainchild of Damon Albarn bring us a standout collaboration with ScHoolboy Q, and now we're looking at another piece of the puzzle with Robert Smith of The Cure fame.
The appropriately-titled "Strange Timez" may not feature anything in the way of bars, but it does come roaring out the gate with a blistering throwback to eighties dancefloor bangers. Yet despite the inherent nostalgic qualities of the arrangement, the sounds themselves sound futuristic as hell, giving the whole track a vaguely science-fiction bent; it's no surprise they took it there in the accompanying visuals, which is as trippy as the music itself. On that note, there's plenty to enjoy with this one, provided one's mind is open enough to soak it in. The gently weeping synthesizers are the perfect complement for the ever-so-haunted vocals, a fitting soundtrack for a party of the damned.
QUOTABLE LYRICS
I think I've fallen onto silken thread, my head is spinning
Suspended in a twilight void that keeps on giving
The looping dervish in the lodge is lost within the ringing