In an age of campaign finance and special interest lobbying dismantling the fabric of Democracy we can at least find some respite and gentle comfort in the jarring reminder of "We are still human" nestled in the vocoder bridge of Gorillaz' first track in six years.
"Hallelujah Money" features the Mercury Prize winning Benjamin Clementine spinning a gloriously irregular (and not unlike Belave) gospel-turned-spoken-word delivery on Trumpian politics backed by choral chemtrails. From references to the refugee strawman as "Scarecrows from the far east" to comparing wall building to unicorns, it's the poetic truth to power only a cult virtual band could procure.
According to their Twitter and YouTube description, the Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett project drops this "lightning bolt of truth in a black night" "on the eve of the Inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump to serve as commentary on a politically-charged, historical moment. #wearestillhumanz" The accompanying visual directed by the band along with Giorgio Testi depicts La Candelaria brotherhood imagery and more projected on Clementine.
They say bad elections result in good art, and while healthcare could probably bring about that end far better, here we are. We'll take all of this that we can get.
Gorillaz are set to release a new record this year, though "Hallelujah Money" will not be on it.