The Gorillaz have become one of the best known bands of the 21st century, even though they technically don’t exist. Started as a side project between musician Damon Albarn and comic book illustrator Jamie Hewlett, the Gorillaz have blurred the lines between electronic, rock and hip-hop. Fictional characters 2D, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle and Russel compose the band in the beautiful music videos animated by Hewlett. The band debuted in 2001 with their album “Gorillaz” featuring the hit Clint Eastwood. Their follow up album from 2005 “Demon Days” continued their advancement as a band and defined their genre mixing abilities even more.

The newest album “Plastic Beach” surely doesn’t disappoint. The CD doesn’t actually hit stores until March 8th, however through a deal with National Public Radio you can listen to the entire album online. In the five year break from “Demon Days” the Gorillaz have been busy, and “Plastic Beach” is one of the most anticipated albums of the year, earning the Gorillaz a headlining spot at the huge Cochella Music Festival.

As with “Demon Days” the CD hosts a large variety of big names, from Mos Def and Snoop Dogg to many other well known artists as well as the Lebanese National Orchestra for Oriental Arabic Music. The CD’s pre-released single “Stylo” features Mos Def and shows how diverse the album is, especially compared to the previous releases. The album feels mellower than the last two albums but is much more experimental and brings the best out of what Albarn can create.

The emphasis on electro beats is often juxtaposed over great hip-hop choruses and lyrical depictions like “Stylo” or the first song after the orchestra opening “Welcome to the World of the Plastic Beach”, but other times the songs are given a poppy, airy feel like “Empire Ants” which is then followed by the techno-rave sounding “Glitter Freeze.” The album even dips into a soul/R&B tone near the end of the album on “Cloud of Unknowing.”

The Gorillaz real prove their worth with “Plastic Beach” and they set the bar high for the other releases this year, including MGMT’s sophomore release “Congratulations.” The rest of the year’s releases can be found here to see what all is coming up in the near future.