Damon Albarn and Dan the Automator's project sounds like something that would be halfway between their musical sensibilities. It has the tempered, subtle pop of last-period Blur, but with the hip-hop and electronic elements that construct Dan the Automator's resume. It seems that the Gorrilaz avatars have given Albarn the freedom to explore a varied field of sounds, but thankfully it comes together as a cohesive set of music. The result is an album that is a grower, but full of diverse songs that catch the ear, whether it's the dub track "Slow Country," the British hip-hop of "Clint Eastwood," or the punkish, well, "Punk." There are hooks everywhere on this album, but it rides along a slow tempo from track to track, which can feel tiresome due to the length, no matter how great all of these songs are.
