Gorillaz - El Maņana / Kids With Guns (Parlophone)
UK release date: 10 April 2006
It seems that the term 'too much of a good thing' is unfamiliar to Damon
Albarn and chums, as this double A-side makes up the fourth and fifth cut
from Gorillaz' ultra-successful Demon Days album, after Feel Good Inc., Dare
and Dirty Harry.
Kids With Guns sounds remarkably like some of the material from
Elastica's misunderstood second album The Menace, actually. It's a
bass-heavy track that shuffles along with the odd backing vocal courtesy of
Neneh Cherry. Lo-fi, low-key and darker in tone than previous
efforts, it makes an odd choice for a single release. Still, Albarn puts in
a good vocal performance, with his haunting refrain of "Easy does it, easy
does it, they got something to say no to," leaving an unsettling
impression.
El Maņana, on the other hand, is more lightweight fare, a simple vocal
boosted by impressive musicianship that lends the track greater import than
it could have been. Still, both of these cuts are baffling selections for
singles, as they do not have the commercial impact of their predecessors.
But they do show that Gorillaz are a band with hidden depths, equally adept
at making music for your head as well as your feet.
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