Day 4 - Demon Days by Gorillaz

Day 4 of 10: My all time favorite albums that are STILL in listening rotation. Today is Friday, so part of me wants to go easy and pick one of my less controversial records. And John Cari and Darius Gambino each have named a record that may well wind up on my list too. But in lieu of naming one of those aforementioned LPs, I'm once again going my own way.

Today's pick is 2005's "Demon Days" by Gorillaz, an album that's dark and weird in all the best ways. It's one of the first records to effectively capture the post-apocalyptic struggle of living after the horror of 9/11, and it topped the virtual band's 2001 debut. This time out, Damon Albarn teamed with Danger Mouse to reach his creative peak. (There may still be room on this list for Blur -- stay tuned.)

Albarn, along with graphic artist Jamie Hewlett, devised the cartoon band in the late 1990s, but by 2005 the novelty needed something more substantial. Albarn found it in the unease many felt in the early 21st century. And right from the jump, "Demon Days" brings a sense of foreboding -- eerie sounds and sirens tell the listener that something horrible has happened. On track two -- Albarn asks the question "Are we the last living souls?" -- a theme repeated throughout the album -- over a series of electro beats and blips. But it's not all grim -- and, like a microcosm of the record itself -- the darkness gives way to a lovely chorus -- trademark Albarn with melancholy vocals accompanied simply by acoustic guitar and piano.

The album sticks to the theme, but this is far from a dirge: "Kids with Guns" borrows a Salt n Pepa riff to illuminate an issue society can't seem to shake. The album veers from dark to light, getting bright and upbeat at times as Albarn taps into a vast arsenal of influences and musical styles -- including gospel, Hip hop and world music.

For me, the high point comes on two stellar tracks: De La Soul join the party on the infectious single "Feel Good Inc", which to this day I sing along with birds -- much like this guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXHCZdZkEQE (and I thought I was the only one!) 

The other highlight is the dancey track "DARE", on which Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder takes lead vocals, playing up his image as a Mancunian thug. There's also a spoken word track featuring Dennis Hopper before the album's climactic and hopeful end. Overall, it's about the most fun you could have thinking about humanity's end and the destruction mankind has wrought on the world. Enjoy!