11. Empire Ants
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2x6bWw2J0po 'Empire Ants' is a song of two halves; a contemplative sigh of a tune that develops into a foot-stomper as free as anything the band have ever done. The song was born in a time when Albarn was between the Monkey project and Plastic Beach - via Blur gigs - and this is perhaps the best portrayal of that fact on 'Plastic Beach'. Whilst 'Empire Ants' is the sound of Damon Albarn falling in love with pop again, the structure of the electronic rise recalls his 2008 Olympic theme for the BBC; the bridge between the acoustic verses and the synth section really is a bridge for where Damon was going with his career. It's much overlooked as a Gorillaz song, and as a moment on 'Plastic Beach'.