Synopsis: 

Released in 2018—just over a year after the hyper-loaded, guest-heavy   Humanz—The Now Now served as a direct and immediate tone change.  If the previous record was an anxious, apocalyptic block party where Damon Albarn barely got a word in, The Now Now is a breezy, melancholic summer road trip where Albarn is firmly in the driver's seat. The  genesis of the album was practical: Albarn wanted an album of new material that he could perform live on tour that didn't require flying in dozens of guest stars. Written primarily in hotel rooms across America, the record captures a distinct sense of transience, loneliness, and Americana seen through a rearview mirror.
The Review:
The album opens with "Humility"  . It has this hazy electronica yet soulful vibe. Jazz guitarist Geroge Benson is featured and brings some coolness to this breezy summer drenched track. The album kicks into high gear with “Tranz” with its EDM/brit-pop hybrid melodies. It creates an 80’s synth pop throwback vibe.  “Hollywood” is the only track that is heavy on featured artists. Snoop Dogg has one of his most chilled laidback guest verses and house music artist/producer Jamie Principle creates a backdrop of electronica fuckiness. The track has this catchy soulfulness that just feels fun. “Kansas” doubles down on the funky beats of the previous track. That bassline just feels so juicy and phat. When Albarn comes in he lays down one of his more chilled and hazy vocals. “Sorcerez” has this 70’s soul/space disco groove. It just feels so hypnotic and chilled out. “Idaho” is the one of the closest things the Gorillaz ever got to Albarn’s Blur sound. Inspired by a stay in a cabin in the country landscapes of Idaho. The song sounds eerie, haunting and beautiful all of the same time. I love 2-D’s (Albarn) vocal presence on the track. “Lake Zurich” is a mostly instrumental hard hitting funked up disco groove heavy track. “Magic City” was named after a billboard Albarn saw in Miami. The track features warm synthesizers that gives the track this dreamy hazy vibe. It feels futuristic and nostalgic at the same time. “Fireflies” Built around a slow, brooding, and heavy bassline that throbs like a heartbeat. The synths swell up that makes the instrumental feel so dreadful. The song is about 2-D’s self-doubt and loneliness. Albarn does an excellent job at purveying those emotions with his excellent vocal vulnerability. “One Percent” is the shortest track on the album. It has this chilled out ambient melody that sounds so soft and quiet. Albarn’s vocals feel hazy and echoed to give the track this luminesce. The album closes with “Souk Eye” begins with a soft, acoustic guitar loop and a gentle bossa-nova rhythm before layers of synthesizers, and soft orchestra notes.  slowly stack on top of one another that builds momentum until the climax then it slowly disappears into nowhere. 
Final Thoughts:

For a cartoon band this album hits on another level. Abandoning the guest heavy track list. Albarn creates a record that feels personal and has this late night road trip vibe. I might be crazy but this might be my favorite Gorillaz project to date. Crazy right? Maybe top 3. If you haven’t checked this album out put it on your bucket lists soon.

Personal opinions only.

Synopsis:

Fresh off his legendary practicing exile on the Williamsburg Bridge, Sonny Rollins entered the studio in early 1962 with a brand-new creative outlook. Rather than assembling a standard hard-bop quintet with a heavy-handed piano player, Rollins made the radical choice to pair his massive tenor saxophone with the elegant, sparse guitar styling of Jim Hall. Backed by the fluid, telepathic rhythm section of bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Ben Riley, this masterclass in "negative space" allowed Rollins to stretch out like never before.

Review:
The album opens with “Without A Song” It begins with a deceptively simple, jaunty introduction from Jim Hall before Rollins bursts in with a towering  tone. He handles the melody with a beautiful, muscular swing. There is a nice breakdown towards the end of the track where drummer Ben Cranshaw gets to show his chops. “Where Are You” is this nice soulful ballad that has Rollins' Tenor Sax just gliding all over the place accompanied by guitarist Jim Hall’s quiet relaxed chords. The song really puts you in a relaxed mood. “John S” is the only original recorded for the album. It has this big fast paced melody that gets bigger as the track moves along. The interplay between the musicians gets more intense the more they jam along. “The Bridge” continues the intensity of the previous track as Rollins Sax playing feels more abrasive probably from the competition of the ongoing traffic as he perfected his craft on the Williamsburgh Bridge. The rest of the band are trying to keep up with the pace with such maniac energy. “God Bless This Child” A tribute to Billie Holiday. This track is a masterclass in jazz counterpoint and restraint. Instead of taking traditional, isolated solos, Rollins and Jim Hall spend much of the song weaving their lines directly around one another in real time. The album closes with “You Do Something To Me” a Cole Porter standard; it has this joyous bouncy rhythm that steers away from the brooding energy of the album’s musical themes. 
Why Is It Considered a Comeback?

The Bridge didn't just re-establish Sonny Rollins as a giant of the tenor saxophone; it completely revolutionized how jazz musicians used space. By replacing the piano with Jim Hall's guitar. The three year hiatus he took to rejuvenate his sound was something that Jazz musicians never did in the late 50’s-early 60’s. In his absence Jazz redefined itself with Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Ornette Coleman leading the charge. This album put his back in the conversation of jazz greats even though the album didn’t live up to the revolutionary heights it was expected to deliver. If you are looking for a nice ease your way into jazz I think this might be the album for you.

The best advice I ever got ,is to put God in every thing I do

In this case I am into music ,I am a artist and performer...

This song is the center of my latest Album

Act Of God

The title sequence to the 2003 film ‘Brawny’

Macdonald’s Futures originally released on
September 1, 2003

https://motherraspberry.bandcamp.com/album/macdonald-s-futures

GET A FREE COPY OF THIS ALBUM

https://getmusic.fm/r/mother-raspberry-macdonald-s-futures