Loaded Album of the week
By Fred Spanner
Gorillaz: The Mountain ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Mountain finds Gorillaz ditching the neon carnival for something a bit more windswept. It’s the sound of Damon and co. staring into the middle distance, collar up, contemplating life like they’ve just conquered Everest.
The beats are lean, the synths stretch out like cold horizons, and everything feels deliberately uncluttered.
There’s a slow-burn confidence running through the record, like a band that knows it doesn’t have to shout to be heard. Lyrically, it’s all distance, reflection, and that slightly moody “leave me alone, I’m processing” energy. If earlier Gorillaz albums were a technicolour night out in Tokyo, The Mountain is the morning after, staring out the window, surprisingly philosophical.
But give it time, and it gets under your skin. This is an album that plays best front to back, like a steady climb rather than a mad sprint to the summit. Cool, controlled, and quietly confident. The Mountain proves Gorillaz can still surprise.