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“The Good, The Bad & The Queen” is an album about being tired of it
all, the Gorillaz equivalent of Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska.” The
record is more than a side project but less than a new start for
Gorillaz (and Blur) leadman Damon Albarn, who sounds unhappier than he
did on Blur’s “13.” His guitarist, Simon Tong (formerly of the Verve),
sounds almost exactly like Graham Coxon. But the strange synths and
fuzz coloring the album, courtesy of producer Danger Mouse, is
fascinating at best, obnoxious at worst. It’s a half-finished Blur
album, with a little more brooding than usual.
Between all the whining and the melancholy, there are a few
surprises. “Three Changes,” like every other song on the album, is a
mess, but a calculated mess—a Sgt. Pepper’s-esque track that strays the
farthest from the album’s gloom. Apart from Albarn and Danger Mouse,
bassist Paul Simonon (of the Clash) contributes the most to the album’s
feel. From the hopelessness of “Behind the Sun” to the electro-folk
longing of “The Bunting Song,” his secure playing offsets the constant,
aimless misery.
In short, the album can be heard, but it can’t really be
enjoyed—eventually, one realizes that “The Good, the Bad, & The
Queen” is little more than a bad Massive Attack song. There’s some
magic here, but only the most patient listeners might unlock it.
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