Blog

Volumes Hip Hop

#MonthlyMonday Album Pick of the Month

Gorillaz_ The Now Now .jpg

We were a little absent for the month of June, so we're kicking off July with a non-local album pick of the month to get our momentum back! Friday June 29th was a big day for the hip hop community with the release of Drake's Scorpion, but we had our eye on another release in the hip hop realm...

Gorillaz released their sixth studio album The Now Now on Friday, and, in my opinion, truly announced their return. This genre-bending "virtual band" was mia for five years before releasing Humanz last April. After giving the latest release a thorough listen, I think true Gorillaz fans can rejoice that they're back for real. Humanz was an interesting collaboration with a lot of hip hop elements but arguably just that...a feature tape. 

In contrast, this project has very few features but seems to have made the most of the ones they did include. The opening track "Humility" is a single they released May 31st featuring jazz guitarist George Benson. Funky and uplifting, it's perfect to vibe to poolside this summer. For the hip hop fans, "Hollywood" is the track to check out with features from Snoop Dogg and house musician Jamie Principle. It melds into the rest of the album with chill flows and trance-like beats. If you want to get in your feels, my personal favorite song on The Now Now is the final track "Souk Eye." 

I haven't been this satisfied with a Gorillaz project since Plastic Beach, which I'll admit took time to grow on me after their initial self-titled album and Demon Days. But, this one is definitely worth the listen.

The Now Now, an album by Gorillaz on Spotify