BLOGS

The newest release by Gorillaz begs for repeat listens in its entirety.

Some people stand staunchly beside the sophomore album, "Demon Days," but for those who don't, "Plastic Beach" may be a different story.

Like Eric Grandy at The Stranger, I've mainly only ever been attracted to the hits of this collaboration between musician Damon Albarn and comic book artist Jamie Hewlett. But those songs I've loved immensely. "Clint Eastwood," from their 2001 self-titled debut album, still kind of blows me away. It proves that what Gorillaz does is something truly different, a quality that has carried on through material of "Demon Days" and into their latest. Which makes sense, since it is conceptually a cartoon band creating these songs. (As we know, anything is possible in cartoons.)

The record has its share of misses, but they are few. Snoop Dogg's appearance in "Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach" is underwhelming to say the least and "Sweepstakes" with Mos Def is, for the most part, a spastically monotone snoozer that only finds slight redemption by the inclusion of a big brass band.

Several times, the songs will deceive you, beginning in one way but transitioning to another by the end. This happens most beautifully on "Empire Ants," which spends its opening half resembling an experimental soft rock tune of the ’70s, but transforms into a seductive nightclub groove with Little Dragon. The 10-second segue in the middle of the song is the most striking moment of the entire album — like a single ripe strawberry in a box of chocolate truffles, the bite among a series of bites that widens your eyes, shakes up your senses, and complements everything around it.

Now, on to the truffles. Lou Reed collaborates magnificently on the uptempo "Some Kind of Nature," while two members of the Clash provide elegant contributions to the title track. "Rhinestone Eyes" plays a hook of light electronic fanfare, and "Superfast Jellyfish" with Gruff Rhys and De La Soul is the Fruit Stripe gum of summer soundtracks. The album's lead single, "Stylo," rides smoothly on a chewy bass loop, climaxing with the rich wails of Bobby Womack.

If you were to ask me which Gorillaz song is my favorite, I'd have a hard time deciding. But if you asked which album I like best, "Plastic Beach" wins that one hands-down.

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