It’s readily apparent that Damon Albarn is in many respects a musical genius. His work with Blur and previous Gorillaz outings is testament to this. The Fall, however, comes across as an anomaly in the body of work. Recorded primarily using applica-tions on the iPad and finding its way into the world due to the boredom of touring, it feels somewhat flat for the most part. An exercise in keeping oneself entertained while stricken by the unfortunate rigours of life as a hugely successful musician. Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails did the same thing with Year Zero, yet that record bristles with inspiration and a feeling that the confinement involved nourished the artist while here one senses the barren nature of what the creator endured during its creation. There are highlights: The Snake in Dallas and Amarillo are both tremendously evocative and remain somehow imbued with the ambience of extensive travel. In short, The Fall feels like an experiment and one that needn’t have left the confines of the mobile recording studio as it neither adds substance to the Gorillaz catalogue nor does it stand up to repeated listens.
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