The Mask and the Mouse, Danger Doom
Platinum lovers take notice! Danger Mouse (the part-time Gorillaz DJ famous for combining Jay-Z’s Black album with the Beetles’ White album) has collaborated with MF Doom (a lesser-known but equally innovative MC) to create an underground hip-hop album of a light-hearted nature but with the quality to be taken seriously.
Its light-heartedness stems from the album’s whimsical incorporation of the characters from Cartoon Network’s late-night animation Adult Swim. Any ignorance of the show’s comic sound bites does not detract from the overall enjoyment; far from it in fact. Together with Danger Mouse’s head-nodding beats and MF Doom’s witty lyrical flourishes, the carton cameos simply add to the funky weirdness that gives the album its charm.
Danger Mouse uses synthesised strings, brassy fanfares, vibraphones, cavernous drum loops and jerky time signatures, to provide even more punch and flair than Demon Days. Meanwhile, Doom takes the opportunity to demonstrate clever wordplay amongst some capricious lyrics. So overall, definitely worth a listen. Let’s face it, any album that has a rap about Rocky’s fight with Apollo Creed must command our respect.
Reviewed by Paul Colley
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