AWmusic

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 – Heavy Cross

The Gossip – Dimestore Diamond

Okay, I’m sort of cheating today. A while ago I had posted The Gossip’s Heavy Cross single review along with a video, which I thought was the official video. Oops, turns out it was some sort of very good fan-made video. Therefore, I am not reposting this article along with the official Heavy Cross video.

The Single Review

After a 3-year absence, The Gossip is finally releasing a new album Music For Men. I only discovered The Gossip myself sometime last year (shame, shame shame on me, I know) – read the post here -, but I do like their music a lot and have been wanting to hear something new.

The single Heavy Cross, released on April 28th, although a great pop track, lacks Beth Ditto’s full heavy hitting powerhouse vocals. Then again, she doesn’t have to use her full voice for every song she records. I guess I’m just used to the Standing In The Way of Control voice. The opening of the track sounds like the beginning of Stevie’s Nicks Edge of Seventeen. It’s not the greatest of The Gossip’s tracks, but I like this track enough to spark my interest in the new album, the more I listen the more the controlled-semi-toned-down voice appeals to my ears.

The Video Review
The video has a glitzy metallic futuristic look, with Beth Ditto even wearing metallic colours on her lips and nails. Of course the video has nothing to do with the song or its subject matter. It’s what they call a beauty video, where the artist/band simply sing the song while looking pretty. I’m guessing the video is to showcase Beth Ditto’s fashion forward attitude. Regardless, it does capture the beat of the song with the dancing and the metal scatters. I like the ending when the metal scatters retrieves itself into a ball and the screen goes black.

Speaking of outspoken feminist artists, when is Le Tigre coming back??? Stop the hiatus already!!!

the Gossip’s Music For Men will be out June 22.

The Gossip – Heavy Cross

The Gossip – Fred Falke Heavy Cross Remix

They also have a newly revamped website: Www.GossipYouth.com

The Gossip’s new album cover art: like, a lot!

New Video

In 2006, Beth Ditto from The Gossip was selected by NME as the coolest person in rock. Completely understandable. Ditto is an outspoken person about everything from her weight, her sexuality to the state of affairs (well, maybe it’s related). The hit song “Standing in the Way of Control”, the title track, is a response to Bush’s administration on gay marriage. I stumbled upon The Gossip (I know, where have I been?) last week during L’Oreal Fashion Week. I know, it’s not the latest discovery, but it is among the greatest. I wish I could have been rocking The Gossip in my headphones since they formed 9 years ago.

The album Standing In The Way of Control should be included among the greatest rock/soul albums ever released. The fact that I had never heard of them until now is just a tragedy (for me of course). This album takes rock back to its roots, soul. As much as I love new school rock (we’ll call it that), there’s something that resonates with authenticity when there is funk and soul within rock music. The Gossip is the real thing. They stand for something. They sing about it. They do it like they mean business.

I’m not sure everyone can “love” Ditto’s voice, there is something very “dance music” about her voice and it can get annoying at times. I find that to be the amazing part of her voice though, it’s very big, very loud, very dramatic and gospel-ly. Every song on the album has this feel, a mix of old soul, gospel, dance, rock and funk. Standing in the Way of Control is already a classic, particularly in the clubs and it’s also been remixed by Tiesto. Her voice has a blues-feel in some of the tracks, particularly Coals To Diamonds, Holy Water and Dark Lines. Meanwhile, Keeping You Alive, Fire With Fire and Jealous Girls has more of a punk-soul feel. This album is on repeat right now in my car’s player; perhaps because with the state of the world, I feel like we should all stand for something… and perhaps I just feel like grooving along with the funk.

Like always, I post my favourites of the tracks, hope you enjoy and look for the album.

The Gossip – Standing In The Way Of Control
The Gossip – Your Mangled Heart
The Gossip – Dark Lines