Gorillaz team up with Fatoumata Diawara for their latest ‘Song Machine’ release

If there’s two things about animated virtual band Gorillaz that have become clear recently, it’s that former-Blur frontman Damon Albarn is increasingly using the project as an outlet for his more obscure and personal musical tastes, and that such tastes include world music. Unlike when some veteran musicians go off-road and start getting more experimental, it’s a route that was worked exceedingly well for Gorillaz, and no-were is that more apparent in their latest release with Fatoumata Diawara; Désolé.

Featuring Malian singer-songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, Désolé is part of Gorillaz Song Machine project, and is a quirky up-beat track with a heavy lick of bossa-nova, Albarn’s typically laid back vocal stylings, and Diawara’s powerful and evokative vocals. It’s certainly more user-friendly than their incredibly avant-garde opener and eponymous first single from the Song Machine project, but it’s also a prime example of exactly why Gorillaz are a concept rather than a physical product, demonstrating the fact they can get away with pushing the boundaries at the same time as writing a catchy tune.

Be sure to listen to the Gorillaz & Fatoumata Diawara collab in full below, and be sure to check out the Song Machine playlist on Spotify for future releases.

Image Credit: Gorillaz / Supplied by Warner Music Australia