Zack: Damon Albarn. Four total albums, three with Blur and one with Gorillaz. Paul Simonon. Two albums, both with The Clash. Simon Tong. Two albums, both with The Verve. Tony Allen. A role-player 2 guard for the Memphis Grizzlies who specializes as a defender. Also the name of the drummer for Fela Kuti’s band, who have two albums. A total of ten list-approved albums combined. And then they all teamed up for this project. That’s not even a supergroup. I’m not sure what that is, but my guess would be the Frankenstein monster of music. Oh, and the whole thing is produced by the notoriously kickass producer, Danger Mouse. Sounds like the ultimate combination for awesomeness, right? I thought so too. But I just ended up being disappointed. It’s a good enough album, alright. But with those names, I expected my eardrums to explode and tears of both joy and sadness (for the other musicians who are expected to compete) to flow freely. It was pretty good, I guess. Damon Albarn’s fingerprints are all over it, but I didn’t think it lived up to my admittedly lofty expectations for just him, let alone the incredible supporting cast. I’m much more familiar with Gorillaz than any of the other bands mentioned in this review, and I would take Gorillaz or Demon Days over this album any day. Maybe even Plastic Beach. Overall, I would say that it’s a good album, but certainly not a must-have.
Favorite Tracks: Herculean; The Good, the Bad & the Queen; Nature Springs
Emily: I kind of had some high hopes for this album. First of all, the name itself is just badass. It sounds like a British Sex-Pistols-era punk band, which automatically put me in the mindset for some fast, anti-establishment, pogoing punk. Then, I found out it was a Damon Albarn project. Not quite as badass and punk, but I like Gorillaz and Blur, so I figured I’d be a fan. Add in the bassist from The Clash – maybe I’d get my punk after all! And it’s produced by Danger Mouse. The Grey Album? Awesome. Gnarls Barkley? Even awesomer. All that said, I was expecting to be a big fan of The Good, the Bad & the Queen. Alas, I was not. The electronic and synthesizer sound made for a cool, vaguely ambient experience – very Damon Albarn, which certainly isn’t a bad thing. However, this is a supergroup that combines some great talents from very diverse musical backgrounds. I expected more diverse influences, especially Clash-style punk or some ‘70s Afrobeat (the drummer, Tony Allen, used to play for Fela Kuti). It’s a solid album, with signature Albarn sound and production, but I think this group has so much more collaboration potential, and I’d definitely like to hear what else they could come up with together.
Favorite Tracks: The Good, the Bad & the Queen; Kingdom of Doom; History Song 
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