Ahni Brown Harbin, Program Coordinator, Staff Writer
In the newest album from the iconic band Gorillaz, there’s an incredibly well-produced song about the loss you feel when someone you love leaves in one way or another. The album, called The Mountain, was released in January, and much of it stems from a deep feeling of personal loss experienced by two band members, as well as a life-changing trip to India.
The Mountaintop
You know, the hardest thing is to say goodbye to someone you love.
The album features a lot of traditional Indian influences, as well as a bunch of features from artists both living and dead. Playing with the idea of loss and permanence, people appear on this album from beyond the grave.
This song in particular feels like someone who has survived a loss looking back upon it, and in this instance, it could be interpreted as the living reflecting upon the dead. Gorillaz lead vocalist Damon Albarn performs alongside musician Anoushka Shankar, vocalist Kara Jackson, and producer Bizarrap in this deceptively upbeat song.
With an infectious whistle riff guiding the song and accompaniment from traditional instruments like the sitar, which mirrors the whistled riff like a haunting melody reminiscent of a bittersweet memory of someone you miss.
Back Like They Never Left
The missing in the song can take the form of many things, but in this it seems to be concerned with the idea of keeping someone’s memory alive and ensuring that you remember them in the light that you see them now. Kara Jackson sings “I’m not your enemy/Your legacy frightens me, will I keep it gold?/Or will it spoil/Before I gеt the chance to grow old?”
Nostalgia Personified
As a whole, the song feels nostalgic and filled with longing. It’s simultaneously heartbreaking and hopeful in a way that is incredibly special. It has definitely been on repeat for me since the first time I heard it!
