The Gossip – Music For Men Review
Two weeks ago, I wrote about the new Black Eye Peas album sounding like a 90s music compilation, more specifically the MuchMusic Dance Mix CDs. I’m having a déjà-entendu this week. When I first heard the Heavy Cross single (post here), I indeed wanted to hear the rest of the album. Honestly, I don’t feel so inspired right now. Because the BEP album also has that kind of inspiration, it’s hard for me to overcome this feeling of having heard it before. I do understand that The Gossip is more of an indie-band (despite this being their major label release) and it’s the popular BEP that has caught on to their sound and not the other way round.
Hmm, it’s not to say that the album is bad. I guess I wanted them to push their sound over the top, over the limit they had already set. I wanted the initial feeling that I had when I heard their album Standing In The Way of Control. It feels disappointing that I can basically spot the similarities from the last album. But, since this is the first major label release, I guess The Gossip is under pressure to perform and succeed. This would then explain the lack of risks since they need to stick to the formula and sell.
The album starts with Dimestore Diamond, a very bluesy, jazzy, drum inspired track. Ditto’s voice, I believe, is best on this song because the long notes allow us to hear the stretch of her power pipes in slow movements. Men In Love has a quick sample of Aretha’s Changes, which is very fitting seeing that I can hear Ditto’s influence. Love And Let Love is a Salt-n-Pepa Push It-sampled track where parts sounds much like Madonna in her early years (of course just the track – not the singing). Perhaps the catchiest track of the album is Pop Goes The World, with a great built-up clash of sounds chorus.
Music For Men keeps The Gossip signature sound of blues, funk and dance tracks. The new Gossip album is good and definitely worth our dancing feet.
My favourite tracks are: 8th Wonder, Men In Love, For Keeps.
The album is now available on iTunes.
The Gossip – Dimestore Diamond
Tags: album
