Damon Albarn - Mr Tembo

April 23, 2014 / V.P. Smith

As far as I'm concerned, Damon Albarn can do no wrong.

DJs, can you name a single project he's put his finger or voice to that was less than?

Maybe Plastic Beach. I'll give you that. Maybe.

Now we have Mr Tembo, a teaser for what's to come from Everyday Robots. Albarn met an orphaned elephant in Tanzania and decided that, for the summer of 2014, the world would join him in rejoicing the tenacity of this delightful beast.

It's not the first time Albarn has brought his talents to an area of the world very distinct from his upbringing. Nor is it his first song to focus on the animal kingdom. I am still amazed by his 2008 project, Monkey, in which he SUCCESSFULLY married his contemporary musicality with the Chinese epic, Journey to the West, without resorting to camp. (For those of you who will check that out, I point you toward Monkey – Heavenly Peach Banquet.)

How stupidly delightful. Here, let's sing a song in appreciation of another animal. Not just that, let's root this little guy on.