Because Gorillaz is a cartoon band, one can always expect top notch artwork for a project like this – as the art is as integral to the band as the music is. Plastic Beach is no different. Prior to the release they really went all out to make the world of Plastic Beach seem real (building a 3D interactive model, an online game) and the album itself ties this all together. Unfortunately, in what I think was a baffling decision, they decided to release various versions. There is the “standard” and the “Deluxe”. The “Deluxe” is the version in this review, and I highly recommend it, as the Standard does not have all the art, or the lyric book. And if you are really a purist, you will be annoyed to find out the Japanese edition includes a poster, set of stickers and extra art that the rest of the world did not get. I also can’t help but feel a bit let down they went with the digipack format. While I agree that the art looks much nicer on cardboard, they went too flimsy with this release. The best digipacks are the ones that are a hybrid with a plastic middle to hold it all together. This one just bows out, and looks strange.
Verdict: Deluxe Edition is a must buy. Regular edition is about $10 cheaper, but you will be missing a lot of the art. And let’s be honest, the only people who buy CD’s today, but them for the packaging. Hopefully this gorgeous album gets a vinyl release (where the art has a real place to shine).
