By Odeisel

Remember that electro Euro pop song from the Geico caveman commercial? You couldn’t get it out of your head because it reminded you of the 80s and Billy Ocean and all those funky synthy songs by cheesy groups that you loved? Well this song, the first leak from the Gorillaz’ coming album Plastic Beach, entitled “Stylo” conveys those same emotions.

It’s very spare, without much garnish with little more than a basic drum, bassline,  and keyboard. The brakes feature an elevating key arrangement .The vocals are very mellow and smooth, that is, until the legendary Bobby Womack hops on the track and belts out a few ferocious measures sounding like he walked in on his wife getting down with someone else.

It provides a stark contrast to the main vocal and actually doesn’t have much rhyme or reason to its arrangement besides tag teaming in and out, but it keeps you off balance long enough to remain interesting.

Mos Def drops a few bars in distortion like he’s rhyming through a CB radio.  He flows but there isn’t really much to make of his performance other than he doesn’t tarnish his legacy and he closes out the song properly.

If this is representative of what the new LP will bring, then we’re in store for good old fashioned creative, off-kilter, and motley collaboration. In a cardboard cutout landscape I can’t do anything but salute that.  Enjoy.

Gorillaz feat. Bobby Womack & Mos Def “Stylo”  stylogorillazfeatBobbyWomackMosDef

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