Gorillaz "Cracker Island" (2023)

Cracker Island

release date: Feb. 23, 2023

format: digital (10 x File, FLAC)

[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,65]

producer: Gorillaz and Greg Kurstin

label: Parlophone / Warner - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Cracker Island" (feat. Thundercat) - 2. "Oil" (feat. Stevie Nicks) - 3. "The Tired Influencer" - 4. "Silent Running" (feat. Adeleye Omotayo) - 7. "Tarantula" (feat. Bad Bunny) - 9. "Skinny Ape"

8th studio album under the Gorillaz alias, Damon Albarn once again finds time and room to continue his virtual albeit quite succesful band whenever he's not consuming time with The Good, The Bad & The Queen, or producing stuff for Blur, or he's doing solo projects. The majority of the songs are credited Albarn and new producer Greg Kurstin, but as has become the usual working process, several tracks are co-written with various others. On this it's primarily artists of hip hop and rap. Also, longtime associate Remi Kabaka Jr. is co-producer on four tracks and co-composer on track #8, which also feature Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny (aka Benito Martinez). Track #1 feature Thundercat (aka Stephen Bruner), track #5 feature both Tame Impala and Bootie Brown - the latter first featured on a Gorillaz' single on the track "Dirty Harry" on the band's second album, and then the album also feature two major artists: Stevie Nicks on vocals exclusively on track #2 and Beck (aka Beck Hansen), also as co-composer, on the end track.

Albarn just never seems to disappoint. In contemporary popular music he acts like a fish in water. Whatever he's involved in comes out as right on current parameters for music in tune with what's being asked for. He's no entertainer in a traditional sence, but he certainly knows how to produce entertaining music. At a first listen I thought this one - for once - wasn't quite there, on the spot. But after a few spins, I have to confess, there's absolutely nothing wrong with Cracker Island. It's funky, and it's danceable and entertaining as f...., and thanks to the decision not to dwell on an earlier will to write and compose with various artists from (too) diverse genres and styles, the album is with aid from Remi and Kurstin the experience of one whole rather than a compilation of sorts - as his nonetheless great predecessor Song Machine, Season One - Strange Timez from 2020.

The album has found its way to the top of the British albums chart and has generally been well-received internationally.

Highly recommended.

[ allmusic.com, Clash, NME, 👍The Guardian 4 / 5, PopMatters 4,5 / 5, 👎Pitchfork 6,5 / 10 stars ]

Best of 2020:Gorillaz "Song Machine, Season One - Strange Timez" (2020)

Song Machine, Season One - Strange Timez

release date: Oct. 23, 2020

format: vinyl / digital (17 x File, FLAC - Deluxe)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [4,22]

producer: Gorillaz, Remi Kabaka; James Ford et various

label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Strange Timez" (feat. Robert Smith) (4 / 5) - 3. "The Lost Chord" (feat. Leee John) - 4. "Pac-Man" (feat. ScHoolboy Q) (4 / 5) - 5. "Chalk Tablet Towers" (feat. St. Vincent) (4 / 5) - 7. "Aries" (feat. Peter Hook and Georgia) (4 / 5) - 8. "Friday 13th" (feat. Octavian) (4,5 / 5) - 9. "Dead Butterflies" (feat. Kano and Roxani Arias) - 10. "Désolé" (feat. Fatoumata Diawara) (4 / 5) - 11. "Momentary Bliss" (feat. Slowthai and Slaves) (4 / 5) - 12. "Opium" (feat. EarthGang) - 15. "With Love to an Ex" (feat. Moonchild Sanelly) - 16. "MLS" (feat. JPEGMafia and Chai) - 17. "How Far?" (feat. Tony Allen and Skepta)

7th studio album by Gorillaz following two years after the The Now Now album is the continued Damon Albarn-led music project. Albarn is the mastermind behind the songs and Remi Kabaka, Jr. is his wingman in terms of producing the sound of the individual tracks.

The Song Machine experiment is an episodical project launched Jan. 2020 with the song "Momentary Bliss" (featuring Slowthai and Slaves) (track #11) - and the idea has been to release one new song each month alongside a video directed by graphic director of Gorillaz, Jamie Hewlett - something that has been accentuated after the Corona-lockdown. Albarn has written and composed partial or more definitive ideas and sent these to collaborating artists, who then have developed on or contributed with vocals or instrumentation, after which Albarn and Kabaka have laid down a final production. The cast of featuring artist is as diverse as the music itself. Here, Albarn mostly collaborates with new musical friends, although, the final track features the late (Nigerian-born) Tony Allen - who also were part of Albarn's side-project The Good, The Bad & The Queen. Robert Smith of The Cure has contributed with vocals and instrumentation making the first song sound like a mix of 1980s post-punk scene and electronica of the early noughts. And in a not so far stylistic universe, Peter Hook of New Order seamlessly blends with Albarn's most Bernard Sumner-like vocal and produces a song resembling New Order's Low-Life-period. Beck has never sounded fresher and Elton John comes to live again, but the featuring artists has been gathered from not only various decades and genres but from several continents - especially when including the Deluxe Edition. The majority of artists come from Britain or the US, but you will also find Malian singer / songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, South African vocalist Moonchild Sanelly (Sanelisiwe Twisha), Japanese all-female rock quartet, Chai, Venezuelean vocalist Roxani Arias [?], and Unknown Mortal Orchestra from New Zealand.

Stylistically, this is a genuine Gorillaz album - considering the wide-spread pond of musical influences you always hear in the music by Albarn - or at least in his post-Blur period. However, far he moves in various directions, he almost magically condenses everything to something fitting within the Gorillaz' universe. The 2017 album Humanz also featured various guest artists but somehow this works even better on this album. and if the 2018 album was a favourite of mine, this newest collection of songs simply beats that and not only is years' best album but also Albarn's best-ever album.

Albarn is simply one of the most underrated artists in the world of modern music, and I do know he's quite successful and that his music is cherished and played all over the globe, but from my perspective, it's nearly only possible to underrate the value of his contributions. On this album he makes sure that the guest artists comes out as individual artists - they shine because of his arrangements and at the same time he adds his own vocals and / or instrumentation to the songs making all compositions sound as stemming from one and the same source - which in a way they do 'cause Albarn made it all happen!

As far as concern the album's track highlights it's a bit of a job to pin out highs on an album that shines in its own light. The standard vinyl album is an eleven songs album, and the Deluxe Edition - made available in a download edition and as a 2 lp vinyl edition contains seventeen tracks (the Japanese edition contains 18 tracks).

Unfortunately, I find that it has become a rare thing to come across new music that stirs you in the same way music did when you were young but with this, I can frankly say that this is it! And did you notice? The album is called "Season One"... And yeah, the second chapter is already on its way and according to Albarn himself scheduled for release Mar. 2021. This man is a factory of music!

Highly recommended!

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, The Guardian, Clash, NME, Mojo 4 / 5 stars ]

2020 Favourite releases: 1. Gorillaz Song Machine, Season One - Strange Timez - 2. Kesi BO4L - 3. I Break Horses Warnings

Gorillaz "The Now Now" (2018)

The Now Now
release date: Jun. 29, 2018
format: cd
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]
producer: Gorillaz, James Ford, Remi Kabaka
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Humility" (feat. George Benson) - 2. "Tranz" - 3. "Hollywood" (feat. Snoop Dogg & Jamie Principle) - 4. "Kansas" - 5. "Sorcererz" - 7. "Lake Zurich" - 8. "Magic City" - 11. "Souk Eye"

6th studio album by Gorillaz released 14 months after Humanz (2017). The album is credited Gorillaz consisting of live band musicians James Ford, Remi Kabaka together with Damon Albarn featuring a (smaller) bunch (than ordinary) of additional musicians; however, in reality, the only permanent band members are Albarn and visual artist (and lyricist) Jamie Hewlett - the latter only responsible for the artwork on this release. Gorillaz is and has always been Albarn's musical outlet where he experiments with a variety of guest artists, and for this album, he has "invited" Gorillaz' live musicians James Ford, who is credited for handling drums, bass, guitar and synthesiser, and Remi Kabaka, only credited for playing percussion on track #7, to join "the band" to record an album, which means: Albarn has directed, composed and let others participate in the process - just like old-timer guitarist George Benson, rapper Snoop Dogg and house musician Jamie Principle all do on selected tracks, but also a few other featuring artists playing bass, percussion, or additional vocalists on specific songs are all credited as co-composers. This also includes Albarn's former Blur-associate guitarist Graham Coxon featuring on track 8.
The Now Now is rather different from its predecessor by being more laid back. The 2017 album was loaded with guest appearances - and loaded to a degree where the sensation of a whole album was put in a drawer on the expense of the single compositions. This is much more in the spirit of an album like The Fall from 2010, where it's not so much about showcasing hit singles but rather the embodiment of a tone or a specific mood. In that way, it also reminds me of Albarn's so far only solo album Everyday Robots from 2014. Instead of having 'euro-pop' dance floor hits, there's simply much more focus on neo-psychedelia and synth funk to make it "hit" material. But altogether, it's undoubtedly Gorillaz as we have come to know "them", and also more of a grower.
The album was met by lukewarm to positive reviews, and the main reason seems to be a founding natural ingredient in all productions by this project: a need to experiment and incorporate various styles, inviting other artists in the process-making - and yes, sometimes it went that way, sometimes another way, and this time... this way. It all depends on how things turn out while Albarn is at the steering wheel. But he is also that "one component" that binds everything together - and pretty much as always: that ain't bad.
I really enjoyed Humanz, which wasn't liked by a lot of music critics, but I find that this is a much more coherent album, but also a much more delightful listen, and to me, The Now Now is not only the band's best album in years, it's simply one of Albarn's best efforts, ever.
[ allmusic.com, Uncut 3,5 / 5, 👍Rolling Stone, Q Magazine, SputnikMusic, NME 4 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "Humanz" (2017)

EU cover
[2-D]

Humanz
release date: Apr. 28, 2017
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,64]
producer: Gorillaz, The Twilite Tone of D/\P & Remi Kabaka
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Ascension" (feat. Vince Staples) - 3. "Strobelite" (feat. Peven Everett) - 7. "Submission" (feat. Danny Brown & Kelela) - 8. "Charger" (feat. Grace Jones) - 10. "Andromeda" (feat. D.R.A.M.) - 14. "Let Me Out" (feat. Mavis Staples & Pusha T)

5th studio album by Gorillaz is a 20 track album ending a seven year hiatus from the Damon Albarn-led project is the follow-up to The Fall (Dec. 2010). The many tracks are the result of having six short breaks in form of various intermezzos, however, its total running time is approx. 49 min. Stylistically, it's a bit subdued compared to the first three releases. You'll find bits of glitch pop but more apparent is the presence of electropop and art pop in combination with hip hop. There's the almost natural ever-present signature element of dub on top or underneath all tracks. What I find less attractive is the constant use of various rappers instead of Albarn's characteristic vocal, which places it alongside Plastic Beach (Mar. 2010). He's there, but more as complementary vocal, which is a bit of a shame. When Albarn's most present, there's an immediate connection to his fine Everyday Robots from 2014.
At a first glance it may not be as direct and good as Demon Days (2005), but I easily found it bettering Plastic Beach and The Fall, and after ten spins or more, I simply consider it the band's best [!]. Yes, I know some reviewers haven't been that positive about it. I on the other hand find it much more pleasant, accessible and enjoyable. It may not add "that something new" to the Gorillaz project, and in that way could be considered a bit on a plain, but the positive dance pop tunes and the laid-back unworried tone mix so well. I've rated this lower almost for a whole year, but at the end of the day, it has come down as one of the most enjoyable albums of 2017.
The front cover comes in various versions, all of which naturally made by Gorillaz' "art department" member Jamie Hewlett.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian, NME, Q Magazine 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

UK cover
[Noodle]

vinyl cover
[Murdoc]

deluxe double
vinyl cover
[Russel]

streaming cover
[Gorillaz]

Gorillaz "The Singles Collection 2001-2011" (2011)

The Singles Collection 2001-2011 (compilation)
release date: Nov. 25, 2011
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5]
producer: Gorillaz
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Compilation album by Gorillaz. It's already the band's 3rd compilation album, but it's first best of collection. In 2002 the compilation album G-sides was released containing B-sides to tracks from its first issues (eps and the debut) - the title referring to 'Gorillaz', and in 2007 they released the remix and B-sides album D-sides, this time referring to Demon Days, as it follows; however, The Singles Collection 2001-2011 is of course a summarized catalogue containing its best selling tracks from three studio albums. It's striking that it doesn't contain a single track from The Fall (Dec. 2010), which kind of reflects what many critics suggest that it was more of an extra release meant for the fan base - "a gift" from Albarn with his own experiments, and not as much the result of worked-through compositions.
The Singles collection is a quite nice collection, although, it only contains material from three albums. So who's it for then? It's more of a "buy-this-if-you-don't-have-all-3!"-album, and yeah, all three albums do contain some fillers that you're necessarily left without. What the album also sustain is that Gorillaz in fact is a singles-project reflecting contemporary music industry in a nutshell: A large amount of artists and bands of 'popular' music are nowadays more preoccupied in the making of singles meant for streaming services than spending weeks and months recording and producing studio albums. That said, this The Singles Collection 2001-2011 is a mighty fine collection / release.
[ allmusic.com, Q Magazine, Uncut 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "The Fall" (2010)

The Fall
release date: Dec. 25, 2010
format: digital
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,18]
producer: Gorillaz, Stephen Sedgwick
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Revolving Doors" - 3. "HillBilly Man" - 4. "Detroit" - 9. "The Snake in Dallas" - 10. "Amarillo" - 13. "Bobby in Phoenix" (feat. Bobby Womack)

4th studio album by Gorillaz [read: Damon Albarn] released only 7 months after Plastic Beach is an album, which actually showcases a much bolder change of style than one might expect. Albarn experiments, and here he has (luckily) left much of the experimental hip hop universe and instead digged into glitch pop, minimal house and electropop. Except from the two The Clash members Mick Jones (track #3) and Paul Simonon (track #12), and Bobby Womack (track #13), the vast crowd of featuring guest performers are as good as stripped down to Damon Albarn, who has composed, played and sang most of the tracks on his own.
Apparently, the entire album was recorded and mixed on Albarn's iPad during the American leg of the Escape to Plastic Beach World Tour (and more specifically the tracks were recorded from Oct. 3 to Nov. 2, 2010). Some critics point to the quick recording and production time when referring to the album as "outtakes" from Plastic Beach. Others just ignore it for being a commercial stunt. I think, they're both wrong, and it does contain fine music.
My first impression was an album of lesser interest than Plastic Beach and Demon Days, but most of all it really comes out as a document of Albarn's musicality - his interest for incorporating and playing with new styles in his broad musical universe, and, I think he has found a tone of his own. The thing is, with Albarn one has to come to terms with being confronted with new music, new influences, and in the end The Fall simply is more than just some sketches without being truly essential.
[ allmusic.com, The Guardian 3 / 5, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "Plastic Beach" (2010)

Plastic Beach
release date: Mar. 9, 2010
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,48]
producer: Gorillaz
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 4. "Rhinestone Eyes" - 5. "Stylo" (feat. Bobby Womack & Mos Def) - 6. "Superfast Jellyfish" (feat. Gruff Rhys & De La Soul) - 8. "Glitter Freeze" (feat. Mark E. Smith) - 10. "On Melancholy Hill" - 11. "Broken" - 13. "Plastic Beach" (feat. Mick Jones & Paul Simon)

3rd studio album by Gorillaz following Demon Days by almost five years is an album with a more 'experimental hip hop' and 'glitch pop' style on top of the 'art pop'. The album features a vast number of prominent guest appearances - including Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, De La Soul, Mark E. Smith. Mick Jones and Lou Reed.

Naturally, Damon Albarn hasn't just stopped making music for nearly five years. He has been involved in all sorts of side-projects - initiating the lasting "super-group" The Good, The Bad & The Queen, being involved in projects connected to African music: Monkey Journey to the West (2008) and Africa Express (2009) - as well as re-joining Blur for live concerts. Albarn is a genuine music machine.

My initial thoughts about the album had me thinking of it as weak. I found that it didn't contain any evident hits, where "Stylo" and especially "Superfast Jellyfish" were the only tracks above the mediocre, but - like is the case with, I think, all Gorillaz studio releases except the debut - I have changed my opinion during the last 10 years or so. And possibly this album took me the longest time to embrace. No, it doesn't showcase a lot of memorable songs. And, I do find the bold focus on 'experimental hip hop' a bit tedious in the long run, which initially had me thinking of it as far from an immediate favourite; however, looking at it from a contemporary perspective and with a mindset on what Gorillaz did that worked, it's really not that bad, and I do find that it contains original fine tunes. Plastic Beach is really the band's first conceptual album in that it has its centre around modern society and the obvious pits of various types of pollution - be it the most literal: Plastic on the world's beaches, or the more symbolic themes about questionable lifestyles and what seems to be a stress on artificial material, which is underlined by utilizing synthesizers, loops, 'dub' programming, electronic beats and various types of electronic equipment.

And no, the hit material may be less evident, but the overall thematic tone and message is put at first hand, and that, I think works quite all right. There's a sensation of seriousness that isn't present on Demon Days or the debut, which makes it gloomier - less positive. I don't consider it among the absolute best by Gorillaz, as it generally points in all sorts of directions, but then again, this band is and never was about making cohesive albums, as much as showcasing what they have as their most potential strength: a platform / playground for near endless musical possibilities, and here they demonstrate an original perspective on modern life.

[ allmusic.com, Rolling Stone 3,5 / 5, Q Magazine 5 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "D-Sides" (2 CD) (2007)

D-Sides (compilation)
release date: Nov. 19, 2007
format: 2 cd (2017 reissue)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,45]
producer: Gorillaz, Jason Cox, James Dring, Danger Mouse
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: CD ONE: 3. "Hongkongaton" - 4. "We Are Happy Landfill" - 5. "Hong Kong" - 8. "Bill Murray" (feat. The Bees) - 11. "Spitting Out the Demons"
CD TWO: 1. "DARE (DFA Remix)" (feat. Shaun Ryder) - 2. "Feel Good Inc. (Stanton Warriors Remix)" (feat. De La Soul) - 4. "DARE (Soulwax Remix)" (feat. Shaun Ryder) - 5. "Kids with Guns (Hot Chip Remix)" - 7. "DARE (Junior Sanchez Remix)" (feat. Shaun Ryder)

Compilation album by Gorillaz much like the G-Sides album a compilation containing B-sides, remixes and bonus tracks from their most recent album Demon Days (2005), thus both referring to that album [as "Demon Days-sides"] and also, I guess, as a suitable title extending the notion of something other and more than just "B-sides".
The idea of putting out a 2-disc compilation album of compositions, which are not best of material but "just" more of your favourite (project) band may seem over-the-top, but with Gorillaz it just falls out quite all right, 'cause fact is, the band builds its compositions on 'dub' and mixes, so new and quite different versions are easily constructed. CD ONE is reserved for actual single versions and more traditional (extended) mixes, whereas CD TWO contains new remixes of tracks from Demon Days and e.g. no less than three different versions of "DARE" and "Kids with Guns".
With some tracks you may ask yourself as to why they are here, but the longer you get into Gorillaz' world of sounds, it does make sense. Almost as usual with their albums - initially, I tend to have more luke-warm feelings to a new album, and then rather quickly I change my verdict to a more positive one. It's strange, very original and yet quite simple music, but I like it, although, I'm not listening to it that often, but when I do, I often end up thinking "It's actually pretty neat" 'cause fact is it basically sounds more like a new studio album than remixes of familiar tunes. It's really more than just Okay and definitely worth more than a listen or two and ultimately also has more to offer than the first compilation, G-Sides.
[ allmusic.com, NME 4 / 5, Uncut 3 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "Demon Days" (2005)

Demon Days
release date: May 24, 2005
format: cd
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,38]
producer: Gorillaz & Danger Mouse (and others)
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 2. "Last Living Souls" - 3. "Kids With Guns" (feat. Neneh Cherry) - 4. "O Green World" - 6. "Feel Good Inc." (feat. De La Soul) (4 / 5) - 12. "DARE" (feat. Shaun Ryder & Rosie Wilson) - 13. "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" (feat. Dennis Hopper)

2nd studio album by Gorillaz pretty much continues in the same style as the debut from 2001. It's an album featuring a bunch of other artists, and the end result is an album pointing in just as many directions as the total number of featuring artists.
It contains a few really fine songs but overall it also feels close to the predecessor, and the hit material lacks somewhat. "Feel Good, Inc." is a great hit single, which went #2 on the national singles hit list, but the second single, "DARE" reached #1 on that list without really being a better composition. I think, the first single simply paved the way for the latter.
Without being great, this is a nice listen.
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "G-Sides" (2002)

G-Sides (compilation)
release date: Mar. 2002
format: cd
[album rate: 3 / 5] [3,22]
producer: Dan the Automator, Gorillaz
label: EMI, Brazil - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "19-2000 (Soulchild Remix)" -  5. "Faust" - 6. "Clint Eastwood (Phi Life Cypher version)" (feat. Phi Life Cypher) - 9. "12D3" - 11. "Rock the House (Radio Edit)" (feat. Del tha Funkee Homosapien) - 12. "Left Hand Suzuki Method"

Compilation album by Gorillaz originally released exclusively for the Japanese market Dec. 2001 - later issued in Europe, Brazil and North America in slightly different editions. The material here are compositions recorded from 2000-2001, which are in new remix versions. Actually, only three tracks from the debut appear on this compilation, although, several others may be found on enhanced versions of the debut. Most of the remaining tracks are remixes taken from the ep Tomorrow Comes Today from 2000 and then from various single releases and their B-sides. G-sides thus referring to "Gorillaz' sides" - a bit of all kinds of releases so far.
Despite the many new versions one will find on this, the album doesn't add a lot of great tracks to the band's repertoire but it does help building a more sophisticated image to the project. All in all, it seems like an idea of handing something to the fans, and not being really a huge one, for me it's a bit superfluous but yet... 'interesting'.
[ allmusic.com 3 / 5, NME 3,5 / 5, Uncut 2,5 / 5 stars ]

Gorillaz "Gorillaz" (2001)

Gorillaz [debut]
release date: Jun. 19, 2001
format: digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,54]
producer: Tom Girling, Jason Cox, Dan the Automator, Gorillaz
label: Parlophone - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: 1. "Re-Hash" - 3. "Tomorrow Comes Today" - 5. "Clint Eastwood" - 10. "Rock the House" - 11. "19-2000" (4 / 5)

Studio album debut by the English "virtual" or: project-band Gorillaz crafted by Blur front-man Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett featuring various band members. The virtual band, an imagined but fixed four-piece consisting of 2-D on vocals and keyboard, Noodle on guitars and keyboards, Murdoc on bass and drum machine, and with Russel Hobbs on drums and percussion. In reality, Albarn is the main musical composer, who's credited as writer of nearly all tracks.
For this, two others contributed in the making: rapper Del the Funky Homosapien - for the album renamed Del the Ghost Rapper and American producer Dan the Automator (aka Daniel Nakamura).
The album showcases a huge mix of styles and genres but all done in a sophisticated manner, which makes it a fine whole. Several tracks stick out as near great, others contribute to the whole and a few sound like experimental fillers on a very interesting album debut.
The album is enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".
[ allmusic.com 4,5 / 5, The Guardian, Q Magazine, Slant 4 / 5, Rolling Stone 3 / 5 stars ]