The Gossip - Standing in the Way of Control (Back-Yard)
2/5
By: Chris O'Toole
If only the oh-so-hip scene girls and boys would risk foray onto the dance floor. Radio 4, !!! and The Rapture have all spent the previous few years crafting punk/funk rhythms for them, suitable for throwing epileptic fits on the tiles. But scared of ripping their skinny East London jeans or disturbing their manicured haircuts the cool kids stay away from the floor, lurking in the shadows thinking about losing weight and who to hit on the for the next drink.
The Gossip are unlikely to change this. 'Standing in the Way of Control' is second tier dance punk, competent but not revolutionary. Its crisp drums, tourniquet bass line and snappy vocal hooks, give it a 'you know it before you heard it' feel, and repeated listens do the track no favours. A touch thin on ideas, The Gossip seem content to occupy a place as James Chance and the Contortions little sister, shaping the sound to the contemporary demographic with calculating verve.
5 years ago a track this would have been laughed out of town. In five years time, The Gossip have to hope the same doesn't happen.
Your Feedback
Login to post your comment