Damon Albarn has never been a musician to rest quietly. Between albums from Blur, The Good, The Bad, And The Queen, and even under his own name, it seems like the UK legend is always working. And for the most of this century, his work with Gorillaz was just another creative outlet, appearing brightly every several years only to go back into dormancy.
But this latest run of Gorillaz, like the 2010 iteration that saw two albums released, is something a little different. With the announcement of The Now Now for June 29, their second album in as many years, Gorillaz are pushing further into this version of themselves and finding Albarn making himself at home within the project. On the latest sampling from the upcoming collection, which had previously included the songs ‘Sorcererz‘ and “Humility,” Gorillaz are again exploring the fine art of collaboration, as “Hollywood” features both Snoop Dogg and Jamie Principle. The song had previously been previewed live, but the studio version proves it was worth the wait.
The song bounces with the acid funk of classic Parliament, a sound that suits Snoop Dogg’s eventual smooth verse perfectly. Albarn is so comfortable in creating a canvas for others to succeed, and on “Hollywood,” that feels especially true. Give the song a listen above, and look for The Now Now out next Friday.
