The Gossip - Standing In The Way of Control (Kill Rock Stars)
4/5
By: Thomas Hannan
Is anyone actually going to love this record enough, or believe me with all their heart when told with utter honesty that to appreciate 'Standing in the Way of Control' as much as possible, purchase is required of a speaker system so expensive most of us ambitious youths can only dream of the day when we might begin to damage our hearing with it? The sum would be sufficiently hefty as to likely cover the cost of hiring its creators for your own private rendition of each note herein. And, come to think of it, it is probably only in the vitality and danger of such a live situation where this will ever really, completely work.
The bass of it, though - the grab you by the throat, shake your body so it's still dancing when it lets go bass of it - that's all that matters. It's essentially half an hour's worth of ten different takes on a singular behemoth of a groove, each of its minutes conducive to the tapping of feet, some of them to the most gratuitous shaking of an arse this side of a Beyonce Knowles home recorded sex tape.
Just having those words in a line will probably mean this page will score some ridiculous amount of hits from technological perverts in search of a good, lonely time. Excellent - boys, this is the filthy groove to soundtrack your hunt. Whilst here, let's point you and all others in the direction of where this really works, the stomping monster of a title track, steel bastard of a funk exercise that is 'Yr Mangled Heart' or violently seductive 'Jealous Girls'. Full flippin' marks, each and every one.
This isn't nasty dirty sex music though, not intentionally. The ideas of feminist equality have infected The Gossip as much as they have anyone who has ever met, seen or witnessed and enjoyed in musical form the works of Kathleen Hannah (the track providing the LP with its title undergoes a Le Tigre remix somewhere, we're told). But whilst its one they reportedly ascribe to, the agenda isn't pushed nearly as hard as the main point here - the beat, the overall stench of ballsy funk that refuses to shift.
If it wasn't for those three places where The Gossip excel themselves, it would only be the voice of the remarkably arresting Beth Ditto that would stop 'Standing in the Way of Control' from becoming a dull retread of recently visited ground all to quickly. It does that unashamedly, it finds it feet and then does the same dance with them for the entire runtime. But at least the voice bellowing over the top of it is one as special as hers.
And even those moments more wanting in inspiration and vitality would probably find little difficulty in locating just the properties they currently lack if The Gossip were placed in front of your eyes as well as just your ears. Occasionally, they do nail it. When they learn to do so each and every time, the world won't be able to stay in its seat.
Artists in this article: The Gossip
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