Gossip - Music For Men Review
Posted by Vanessa Willoughby on 07.10.2009
Say what you will about Beth Ditto, but it's always a relief to listen to a singer that can actually sing. Gossip's Music For Men is an affirmation that the band demands more recognition.
TRACK LISTING:
1. Dimestore Diamond
2. Heavy Cross
3. 8th Wonder
4. Love Long Distance
5. Pop Goes The World
6. Vertical Rhythm
7. Men In Love
8. For Keeps
9. 2012
10. Love and Let Love
11. Four Letter Word
12. Spare Me From The Mold
Formed in 1999 in Olympia, Washington, Gossip released their first album on the independent record label, K Records. Following their debut, That’s Not What I Heard was released by the record label Kill Rock Stars in January of 2001. Two months after their first live release, Undead in NYC, original drummer Kathy Mendonca left the band and was replaced by current drummer Hannah Blilie. The band gained their first taste of critical success with Standing in the Way of Control, which was released in January of 2006.
Upon first listen, Gossip fans might be a tad surprised and possibly disappointed to find that the sound of Music for Men is a bit more polished, a bit more electronic than their first album, Standing in the Way of Control. However, although Music for Men slightly strays from their original sound, it preserves and respects their trademark asset: Beth Ditto’s amazing vocal range.
With a band like Gossip, it’s hard for the casual listener to recognize all of the components, the rhythmic and musical arrangement of members Brace Paine and Hannah Blillie, the synchronization of all three members working together. Nevertheless, Ditto deserves all of the praise she gets. The power of her voice makes it nearly impossible to ignore. Seeing as how the band itself has a strong, innovative musical sound, it takes a certain kind of front woman to stand out and avoid being swallowed by the instruments. Paired with a strictly pop-oriented and airy voice, Gossip would be missing a vital element. Fortunately, Ditto’s voice is exactly what Gossip needs; a rich, commanding, dominating tool that is distinctly feminine without the cotton-candy lightness of the traditionally commercial female-singer.
Music for Men is all about the complexities and frustrations of love: falling in love, falling out of love, loving someone who’s far away, loving someone you probably shouldn’t. The first track, “Dimestore Diamond,” starts off with a heavy bass line and then integrates Ditto’s voice. Ditto’s voice, along with the sparseness of the bass, percussion and guitar arrangements, never fully evolves into a chaotic free-for-all.
Although it’s a mellow way to kick off the album, the continuity of the bass line leaves a lasting impression in one’s mind. It certainly wouldn’t seem out of place on a Strokes record. Ditto sings about a shady femme fatale dressed in a wardrobe lifted from every hipster’s handbook: the local thrift store. Relying on the sharpness of the bass line and the occasional assistance from the guitar adds to the atmosphere already provided by the lyrics. Clocking in at just under 3:15, “Dimestore Diamond” is actually a smart track to begin with, as it segue ways into “Heavy Cross,” a track centered on the competition between Ditto’s voice and the guitar.
She sings:
“It’s a cruel, cruel world
To face on your own
A heavy cross to carry along
The lights are on
But everyone’s gone
And it’s cruel”
“Heavy Cross” is a better example of Ditto’s distinct vocal style, which alternates between straight-from-the-gut wails to controlled crescendos and decrescendos peppered with vibratos and other tricks. The electronic break starting around 2:46 once again shows the differences between Music for Men and Standing in the Way of Control. This album is much more about incorporating an electronic influence than the previous, although it never tones down the rhythm-and-rock driven guitar and percussion sound.
The third track, “8th Wonder,” employs a rhythm that is much more aggressive and clipped than both the opening or second songs. It’s not until this track that the album feels like it’s really kicked off and pushed into high gear. The pacing of Ditto’s voice matches perfectly with the acceleration of the drums around 2:10 until 2:36. For a song with such a title, the vocal styling and the musical arrangement don’t disappoint. “Love Long Distance” criticizes the unreliable and selfish habits of a neglectful boyfriend. She confesses:
“Breaking up or breaking down
When I need you
You can’t be found
I want someone who’s around
For me
Does it have to be so complicated?
Either way, I never stated
I could use a little comforting”
Unlike the preceding tracks, “Love Long Distance” seems to be the first song where the piano plays an important part. Additionally, compared to the other three tracks, this one is much more dance-orientated. The tenacity or the tension of the track is never alleviated; the confusion, hurt, and frustration of the lyrics is perfectly conveyed through Ditto’s wonder of a voice. Even with a track like this, that isn’t nearly as hyperactive or vocally-demanding as “Standing in the Way of Control,” it’s quite easy to understand why Ditto and the rest of Gossip are starting to really receive generous buzz.
In comparison to a front woman like Karen O, who is amazing in her own right, Ditto’s voice carries a sense of soul and texture that bears a stronger resemblance to someone like Pat Benatar or Kathleen Hanna, than say, Debbie Harry. Whereas singers like Karen O are about meshing the art of rock and roll with rock itself, Ditto’s voice is an art in itself. Once again, this is no way shape or form a dismissal or even a critique of Karen O, as I think both Beth Ditto and Karen O are two of today’s best front women out there. However, it should be noted that there is something much more immediate about the delivery of Ditto’s vocals.
“Pop Goes The World” initially gives off the impression that it’ll be a track based around a Latin-influenced percussion section. However, an electronic arrangement is layered over this. At the chorus, the percussion section is pushed to the background, no louder than a whisper. The Nintendo-sounding electronic interjections are reminiscent of something the Neptunes would add.
The next track, “Men In Love,” in terms of the lyrical content, is much less suggestive than promised. As heard on “Pop Goes The World,” the percussion section seems to have a Latin-based influence (bongos etc), but it’s so subtle that it’s not a domineering component of the overall song.
The eighth track, “For Keeps,” challenges the idea of love strictly as a game. This is another track that truly puts Ditto’s vocal range in the spotlight; the listener is allowed to indulge in her ability to use her voice as a separate instrument from the rest of the band.
“Four Letter Word” has an 80’s feel to it; the retro-throwback is much more noticeable than any other song on the album. Lamenting about the woes of falling in love, Ditto philosophizes:
“Love is a four letter word
That should never be heard
L is for leaving
O is for our time
V is for the voices warning me I’ll lose my mind
E is for the ending, the unhappy ending”
“Spare Me From The Mold,” the final track, is an obvious departure from the consistent and steady rhythm of “Dimestore Diamond.” Listeners are thrust into the track through the clicking of drumsticks and Ditto’s hoarse cough. Gone is the prominent intertwining of electronics, replaced by the thriving passion of straight-up rock. Like a rollercoaster ride, once the track starts, it never slows down. As a listener, you’re forced to ride until the end of the line. What you experience mirrors the essence of Gossip itself: a unified and refreshing blend of instrument and vocals, latent with all of the necessary dynamite to explode in a cacophony of sound.
The 411: Gossip is a band that may seem like they easily fit into one category. And although it may appear as though they can comfortably reside in the general genre of “alternative rock,” Music for Men hints at something that transcends this simple classification. Although it may not be the album that finally propels Gossip to a truly monumental fan base, Music for Men is just the sort of record that firmly cements their status as a band on the rise.
