Damon Albarn’s cartoon band Gorillaz is, above all else, a musical gateway drug. Its 2010 record, Plastic Beach, featured guest performances by Lou Reed, Mos Def and half of The Clash. And new album Humanz brings together Popcaan, The Twilite Tone. and—whaaaat?—French synthesizer pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre. Kids are gonna hear this stuff and go all-in on Jarre’s Oxygène.

For this reason I’m recommending Humanz, even though I’m not yet sure if its fusion of partying and politics quite holds together. I like Vince Staples’ eager rap on “Ascension” (“The sky is fallin’, baby; drop that ass ’fore it crash”), Mavis Staples and Pusha T bring their all to “Let Me Out,” and De La Soul delivers yet another terrific Albarn collaboration with the head-bobbing “Momentz.” Also, Jehnny Beth’s insistent vocal on “We Got the Power” nearly redeems a dopey duet between Albarn and former Oasis guitarist/vocalist Noel Gallagher. I don’t know how they fit alongside Benjamin Clementine’s ghoulishly gorgeous “Hallelujah Money” or Grace Jones’ sexy-robot vamp on “Charger,” but I really like those two songs, so I’ll consider them the taste that gets me addicted.