Welcome to a new feature called Song of the Week. It’s a fairly self-explanatory addition! Each week, we’ll chat about our favorite tune released in the last seven days. If you’re looking for great new music, you’ve come to the right place!
At long last, Gorillaz has returned! The day before the Presidential Inauguration, the animated band released “Hallelujah Money.” And if you think the timing is coincidental….it’s not.
As Murdoc puts it, “In these dark times, we all need someone to look up to. Me. That’s why I’m giving you this new Gorillaz song, a lightning bolt of truth in a black night. You’re welcome. Now piss on! The new album’s not gonna write itself.”
The song is a strong political jab, the beeps and glitches enhanced by the sinister voice of Benjamin Clementine. Even the ascendant choir is undercut by his sly repetition of the title. While it sounds like Gorillaz’s IPAD-created album, The Fall, Clementine’s delivery cuts deeply. He offers up visions of apocalypse that only he can handle. “And I thought the best way to perfect our tree/Is by building walls/Walls like unicorns/In full glory/And galore/And even stronger/Than the walls of Jericho.” Hmm, sounds a bit familiar!
2-D has a role here too, asking “How will we dream?/How will we love?/How will we know?” It’s a creepy track that takes full advantage of its guest singer’s talents. Is this solely an Inauguration Day “gift” to the new President or the direction for Gorillaz’s next album? We’ll find out soon enough.