GORILLAZ / ORANGE COUNTY
- Stuart Green
- Feb 17
- 2 min read
For months we’ve all been looking forward to the latest and 9th studio album by everybody’s favourite animated four piece, Gorillaz.
Since the announcement of The Mountain being due for release on the 27th of February 2026 they’ve drip fed tracks from the album, giving us a glimpse of what’s to come. Of course, the genre is undefinable, the collaborations are incredible and the quality is typical of Damon Albarn, Bizarrap and the crew behind the Gorillaz most recent sound and style. But with six tracks already available on streaming services and collaborative efforts with the likes of Idles, Sparks and, posthumously, Tony Allen, there’s one original offering which has piqued excitement and shown that in 2026, a full 25 years after their debut album, Gorillaz are still producing heart felt, inspiring and unique modern classics.
'Orange County' features guest vocals from Kara Jackson, and sitar by Anoushka Shankar as well as of course those unmistakably melancholic vocals of lead singer, 2-D…. Or Damon Albarn of course, depending how you’re looking at things.
They’ve managed to once again, inexplicably, link their morose and emotionally down tempo lyrical style to an upbeat, uplifting, catchy backing track, blending electronic beats, Indian inspired themes and subtle piano notes which creates a layered and structured canvas to paint beautiful and insightful lyrics upon, which mostly tackle loss and death, but in the most celebratory fashion.
I’ve personally considered Gorillaz to be a genius level song machine for decades now and they continue to prove me right for the most part. They’re possibly one of the most intelligent and impressive outfits in the contemporary music world, and their expanding catalogue continues to prove that point. Who ever would have guessed that an appearance on the Graham Norton show would solidify ‘Orange County’ as being one of Gorillaz modern gems? But their recent performance was captivating and inspiring, and seats their latest material right next to classics like ‘On Melancholy Hill’ and ‘Tomorrows Comes Today’.
So, with only nine days until the release of The Mountain, anticipation is at its peak, and I for one will be buying the LP on release day to see just what else, this latest release has for us.. see if you can guess where I'll be buying it from.
Article by Stuart Green
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