When ‘New Gold’ was first announced, it’s safe to say that Gorillaz fans were excited. A team-up with psychedelic pop act Tame Impala and West Coast rapper Bootie Brown felt like a match made in heaven. Now that the track is finally out, I can confirm it’s lived up to the hype.
Gorillaz appear to have a never-ending of near-perfect collaborations under their belt. From their previous partnership with Thundercat for ‘Cracker Island’, the lead single off their upcoming 2023 album of the same name, to iconic tracks deep in their backlog, like ‘Dare’ (featuring Shaun Ryder) and ‘She’s My Collar’ (with Kali Uchis), the band is no stranger to a good team-up. Indeed, Cracker Island is reportedly rich with collaborations, with confirmed pair-ups with Stevie Nicks, Bad Bunny, and Beck. The project will be the first Gorillaz extended LP since 2020’s Song Machine.
‘New Gold’ is practically oozing cool. You’ve got the signature high-strung vocals of Kevin Parker, the impeccable flow of Bootie Brown, and the addictive alt-pop funk of Gorillaz; all the ingredients come together perfectly to make a great track.
If I were to play devil’s advocate, I would say that ‘New Gold’ doesn’t share the same ear-worm catchiness of ‘Cracker Island’, but I’ll put that down entirely to Thundercat’s irresistible bassline. Brown raps in a stream-of-consciousness style, dropping old-school Gorillaz references (‘’Like Shaun, he’s the Ryder, he took on a dare’’) and musing on the end of the world, where everything will erupt into a new ‘’magic’’ gold. The track interestingly feels more Tame Impala’s style than it does Gorillaz’; the opening soft synth piano feels like it could’ve come straight out of Parker’s 2020 record The Slow Rush. The collaboration does work well, however, and Gorillaz aren’t lost in it. The quicker tempo and groove constantly remind the listener that this is indeed still the animated band we know and love.
Cracker Island will be produced with Greg Kirsten, who previously has worked with Adele, the Foo Fighters, Halsey, and Sia. It’s set to be released in February 2023.
Words by Alice Fortt
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