Gorillaz | photo by Jeremy Zimmerman for WXPN
Little Simz teams up with Gorillaz for electric new single “Garage Palace”
Soon after coming off a major North American tour, Gorillaz and Little Simz have blessed us with a new single, the day before they embark on another sold-out tour, this time in Europe. Simz and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn have shown that they love working together, and “Garage Palace” is yet another example of their highly beneficial relationship.
“Garage Palace” is a harmonious collision of electro-pop and pure hip-hop. Simz delivers a short chorus with an existential hue and follows up strong with two killer verses. With bars like “On it, my mind is my weakness / Wear your strength, you might surprise yourself / Never deny yourself / Live in the space just like pieces,” Simz seems to be hinting at a larger theme that does not actually get fully formed in “Garage Palace.” Most of the concepts that Simz discusses are important but they are highly fragmented leaving listeners to really wonder what the hell Simz is talking about.
As for the Damon Albarn production…it’s as impressive as ever. Fleeting synths open the record and leads into a crackly beat drop that leads Simz right into her first verse. Albarn also uses a great mix of ethereal siren sounds and driving drum and bass to lay down a stellar instrumental track. The visuals for the song is a classic Gorillaz animated video with a pixelated twist — give it a watch below.