Cracker Island

Cracker Island is the eighth studio album by the British virtual band Gorillaz. It was released on 24 February 2023 via Parlophone and Warner Records. It features collaborations with Stevie Nicks, Adeleye Omotayo, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Bootie Brown and Beck. A deluxe edition was released with additional tracks featuring De La Soul, MC Bin Laden, Del the Funky Homosapien and Dawn Penn.

Cracker Island received mostly positive reviews. It debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number three on the US Billboard 200, making it the first Gorillaz album to reach number one in the UK since Demon Days (2005). It reached the top 10 in 19 countries.

Background
The majority of the work on the album began in 2021. "Tormenta", a song made in collaboration with Bad Bunny, was the first completed. It was originally intended to be the lead single for the second season of the web series Song Machine, before the project was shelved in favour of a traditional studio album (as was "New Gold", which would become the album's second single). According to Damon Albarn, co-creator of the Gorillaz, the new album was already completed in May 2022. American record producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Greg Kurstin served as the main producer for the record, alongside British music producer Remi Kabaka Jr. The song "Baby Queen" was inspired by a 1997 meeting that Albarn had with Princess Siribha Chudabhorn at a Blur concert in Bangkok.

Promotion
Five singles were released from the album. Gorillaz released the first single, "Cracker Island" (featuring bassist Thundercat), on 22 June 2022. Along with this release, Gorillaz announced that the band would be following up the Meanwhile EP with a full new album. The name was announced as Cracker Island, with its release date, artwork and tracklist being revealed on 31 August, alongside the release of the second single, "New Gold" (featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown). The third single, "Baby Queen", was released on the FIFA 23 soundtrack on 30 September, after being leaked earlier that month; it was officially released as a single on 4 November. The fourth single, "Skinny Ape", was released on 8 December, alongside the announcement of two virtual shows in Times Square and Piccadilly Circus on 17 and 18 December, respectively. The fifth single, "Silent Running" (featuring Adeleye Omotayo), was released on 27 January 2023, with a music video released on 8 February.

A deluxe edition of the album was released on 27 February featuring an additional five tracks: "Captain Chicken" featuring Del the Funky Homosapien (who collaborated with the band on their first album), "Controllah" featuring MC Bin Laden, "Crocadillaz" featuring De La Soul (with the late Trugoy the Dove) and Dawn Penn, a 2D Piano Version of "Silent Running" featuring Adeleye Omotayo, and a Dom Dolla remix of "New Gold" featuring Tame Impala and Bootie Brown.

Critical reception
Cracker Island received generally positive reviews from critics upon its release. On Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the release received an average score of 80, based on 23 reviews, indicating generally favourable reviews. Aggregator AnyDecentMusic? gave the album a 7.1 out of 10, based on their assessment of the critical consensus.

Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Stephen Thomas Erlewine called it "less an exploration of new sonic territory so much as it is a reaffirmation of his strengths" and felt that "there's a clean, efficient energy propelling Cracker Island that gives the album a fresh pulse." Writing for Clash, Emma Harrison claimed hat, "this ten track album from Gorillaz is more akin to a sprint as opposed to a marathon on the virtual virtuosos' eighth studio album," and felt that, "despite its diminutive length, 'Cracker Island' packs one hell of a punch and spans genres far and wide." In DIY, Lisa Wright declared the album "very much a set piece that prioritises concept and narrative, resulting in one of Gorillaz's most restrained, contemplative releases yet - one that will perhaps appeal to fans of Albarn's solo work more than devotees of his monkeys' more genre-hopping forays."

In a more mixed assessment from Pitchfork, Ben Cardew said the album "walks a very thin line between playing to the band's strengths and relying too heavily on old tricks". Paul Attard was also critical in the review for Slant Magazine: "When left to his own devices (and stripped of his usual slew of Tumblr-approved guests), Albarn engineers some of Cracker Island's most stand-out material, albeit ones that still vary greatly in quality. Songs like the Greg Kurstin-produced 'Tarantula' and 'Skinny Ape,' while still containing some unnecessary passages (most conspicuously the latter's ska breakdown), are comparatively barebones and cleanly produced. Even better is 'Baby Queen,' a gorgeous piece of dream-pop that cuts back on Albarn's worst theatrical tendencies."

Track listing

 * On vinyl releases, "Tarantula" is placed as the fourth track, between "The Tired Influencer" and "Silent Running".

Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes.

Musicians
 * Damon Albarn – vocals (all tracks), synthesisers (tracks 1–7, 9–10), electric guitar (tracks 2, 9), piano (tracks 3–4, 7, 10), bass, keyboards (track 8), acoustic guitar (track 9), Mellotron (track 10)
 * Greg Kurstin – keyboards (tracks 1–9), synthesisers (tracks 1–7, 9–10), drums (tracks 1–4, 6–7, 9), percussion (tracks 1–3, 5–7, 9), bass (tracks 2–7, 10), electric guitars (tracks 3–4, 6–7, 10), piano (tracks 3–4, 6), marimba (track 3), guitars (track 5), vibraphone (tracks 6, 10), congas (track 7), Mellotron, acoustic guitar, pump organ (track 10)
 * Thundercat – vocals, bass (track 1)
 * Stevie Nicks – vocals (track 2)
 * Adeleye Omotayo – vocals (track 4)
 * Tame Impala – vocals, synthesisers, bass, guitar, drums, Wurlitzer (track 5)
 * Bootie Brown – vocals (track 5)
 * Bad Bunny – vocals, keyboards, percussion (track 8)
 * Remi Kabaka Jr. – drum programming, percussion (track 8)
 * Tainy – drum programming (track 8)
 * Beck – vocals (track 10)

Technical
 * Damon Albarn – production
 * Greg Kurstin – engineering (all tracks), production (tracks 1–7, 9–10)
 * Remi Kabaka Jr. – production (tracks 1–2, 6, 8)
 * Kevin Parker – production, engineering (track 5)
 * Tainy – production (track 8)
 * Samuel Egglenton – engineering
 * Julian Burg – engineering
 * Matt Tuggle – engineering
 * Henri Davies – engineering (tracks 2–3, 6, 10)
 * Joel Workman – engineering (track 2)
 * David Reitzas – engineering (track 5)
 * Federico Foglia – engineering (track 5)
 * Tim Visser – engineering (track 8)
 * Mark "Spike" Stent – mixing
 * Matt Wolach – mixing assistance
 * Stephen Sedgwick – mixing assistance (track 8)
 * Randy Merrill – mastering

Artwork
 * Jamie Hewlett – artwork, design
 * Stars Redmond – assistance