Gossip: Standing in the Way of Control

Been reading lots of student papers this week and the newly released album from dance-punk trio Gossip has provided the soundtrack. Led by the soulful, sometimes-angry, always-hopeful Beth Ditto, Gossip churn out noisy gospel with a beat. The band has roots in the south and it shows, as they begborrowsteal readily from every homegrown genre one might associate with that region. Gossip has no bass player and have a raw aesthetic that begs comparisons with garage rock revivalists, but here's the difference: Beth Ditto's voice. The guitar and drums avoid extra flourish, preferring down-and-dirty blues, but Ditto's vocals stand in sharp contrast. All flourish, flash, and show. And she's got the chops to back up her performative flair. More Big Mama Thorton than Patti Smith, Ditto could be a fine gospel singer. She could hold her own with the purveyors of what passes for soul these days. She has a vocal range beyond the singers of most punk bands (exception: Poly Styrene of X-Ray Spex, whose influence drips from every Gossip track).

Thematically, "Standing in the Way of Control" tackles familiar riot grrrl themes. At times there's too much angst, too much bemoaning one's "outsider" status, but Gossip balances the anger with an eternal optimism. Not only in Ditto's lyrics, but also in the pervasive rhythms and upbeat tempos. Nine out of ten tracks on the album are uptempo and would fit on a club dj's playlist. Refreshing, this juxtaposition of critique and revelry. LeTigre, also one of Gossip's cited influences, come to mind. "Keeping You Alive," the title track, and most especially "Yr Mangled Heart" are standouts. Occasionally the lyrics move too wildly from statements of angst to abstractions of hope, but mostly Ditto gets it just right, with ambiguous and provocative lines like "If everything you do has got a hold on me/Than everything I do has got a hole in it." Recommended.