Gorillaz - 'D-Sides' (Parlophone) Released 19/11/07

Whoever cleaned out the Gorillaz cutting room floor post ‘Demon Days’ did a mighty fine and environmentally friendly job by recycling the leftovers and not consigning them to the digital scrapheap in the sky. ‘D-Sides’ takes its cue from the similarly titled ‘G-Sides’ and features B-Sides and remixes from Albarn and Hewlett’s virtually animated avatars multi-platinum selling second album, alongside early demo’s and previously unreleased tracks, in the process providing yet another platform for Albarn’s musical genius and dexterous vision.

With more highs than a night out with Amy Winehouse and a bag full of disco-powder, CD1 of this double-sided pleasure starts with the happy go lucky desolation of driving across a post-apocalyptic Mojave Desert through the ’68 State’, the flip-side to ‘Feel Good Inc.’ before tackling the fantastically shaky vocals of the Dare Demo ‘People’. It’s a rare thing these days to find an album that not only surprises you but also has you hooked after the opening two tracks, especially coming from a cartoon outfit that have been going for just shy of a decade, but ‘D-Sides’ succeeds where many have previously failed. This incredibly multi-faceted compilation is full of delights including the deep filled ‘We Are Happy Landfill’ whose constant honks and beeps could be the soundtrack to Noodle and 2D driving down Sesame Street to take Oscar The Grouch out of his trashcan for the night. Albarn’s distinctively stunning vocals permeate virtually every track, no more so than in arguably one of the best, War Child’s ‘Hong Kong’ with its hauntingly delicate strings and ice melting Guzheng (a traditional Chinese harp).

Other focal points of the album include the high bass and brass filled Bee’s collaboration ‘Bill Murray’, the simply stunning ‘Don’t Get Lost In Heaven’ and the finale to CD1 ‘Stop The Dams’. The closing track is another collaboration with the Sugarcubes’ Einar Orn and is a protest against dam building in Iceland’s wilderness. It takes on a different form to the previous twelve and brings with it a recognisably serious and poignant edge. CD 2 is all about remixes with ‘Dare’, ‘Kids With Guns’, ‘Dirty Harry’, ‘Feel Good Inc.’ and ‘El Manana’ getting the treatment from the likes of Soulwax, Junior Sanchez, Jamie T, Hot Chip, Metronomy and Stanton Warriors.

‘D-Sides’ is quite simply as good as it gets and makes you realise how difficult it must have been to decide on what tracks actually made it onto Demon Days. ‘D-Sides’ shouldn’t be seen as an after thought of an album conveniently released in time for Christmas, more as an essential accompaniment.