The Mountain is, if the singles are all we consider, set to be the best Gorillaz album in well over a decade. A low bar, sure, but still nice to know Damon Albarn has it in him. Collaborations galore with the likes of Sparks, Trueno, and Proof have offered a wide range of what The Mountain can offer. It’s not just the best song from The Mountain so far, but The God of Lying rivals the very best of Gorillaz’s work. A straight-to-the-point song, a track which speaks nothing but blunt words on the world around us. We should ask for nothing less from frontman Joe Talbot, whose fingers are on the pulse of a fractured culture and serve him well with this Albarn collaboration. His deep drawl serves the song brilliantly, a sharp piece of work which brings out the ugly truths of self-doubt. Get high, get with it, whatever it is Albarn and Talbot sing of here, it’s both the clear solution and the absolute worst next step all at once.
That duality is a brilliant staple of The God of Lying. Gorillaz step confidently into a lyrical styling which serves the listener and has no time for that coddling effect. Headlines, housing, hair, it’s all mused on as those relatively tame questions turn menacing, Talbot asking whether we are truly satisfied with ourselves. Only the listener can answer that and when they turn to false prophets instead of looking inward, they are left with a back and forth not too different from what is heard on The God of Lying. Instrumentally inspired, but that much should be expected from Albarn and the ever-growing Gorillaz collective by now, the world music scene certainly leaving an effective imprint on The Mountain. A catchy instrumental acts more as a steady foundation for lyrics of questioning your quality of life than anything else. They’re well-rounded, but not the focus of this Talbot-led track.
Albarn sounds keen across the three singles so far to take a back seat to performers and collaborators he is inspired by. He gives them the lead and with that, it allows the Gorillaz founder to provide a quick backing vocal and then move his focus onto those electronic, instrumental thrills. It’s a balance that works wonderfully for Albarn and the revolving door of musicians headed in for a chance to work with the Blur frontman. A short and brutal song is what The God of Lying is, but it also subverts what we’ve come to expect from Gorillaz. Those instrumental flourishes are still there, but they never feel like the focus. A constant questioning from Talbot, who can be seen as both the lying God and the consciousness of the listener in his line delivery, is what takes the spotlight.
Gorillaz has come back with a heavy-hitting trio of tracks ahead of The Mountain. They have built on a whole new view of the world and rid themselves of the complacency which reigned on Song Machine Vol. 1 and Cracker Island. They do so by incorporating musicians who are both relevant to the current scene but are also considerable, counter-culture commentators. Talbot has dominated the post-punk and socially conscious scene with Idles, while Sparks are legends of a still contemporary interest. Both have provided some brilliant insights into what we seek when clambering up our own mountains, whatever they may embody. The God of Lying questions our journey to the peak of self-realisation, and it’s a beautifully pieced song. A masterclass from Gorillaz, and one the band had been working towards for some time now.
