The most successful moments in Gorillaz' enviable five-studio-album career have always come as eclectic pairings with the greats of the music world.
Such collaborations have included Bobby Womack's back-from-the-R&B-graveyard performance on "Stylo," Ibrahim Ferrer's Cuban-crooning on "Latin Simone," the juxtaposition of Roots Manuva and Martina Topley-Bird on "All Alone," and the effervescent presence that is De La Soul on "Feel Good Inc.," "Superfast Jellyfish" and "Momentz."
So when the band recently told me that the biggest difference on its new album, "The Now Now," was that it would be "almost all 2-D" (Damon Albarn's character in the virtual group), warning bells went off.