Artist .........: Gossip
Title ..........: Real Power
Genre ..........: Indie
Subgenre .......: Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Pop Rock, Alternative Rock
Label ..........: Columbia Local
Language .......: English
Year ...........: 2024
Street Date ....: 03.22.2024
Source .........: WEB (FLAC)
Bit Depth ......: 24 Bit
Sample Rate ....: 96.0 kHz
Mode ...........: Stereo
Size ...........: 857.96 MB
Tracks .........: 11
https://open.qobuz.com/album/actkjw106cvsb
Url: https://www.bethditto.com/
Track List:
01.Act Of God 03:21
02.Real Power 04:16
03.Don't Be Afraid 04:35
04.Crazy Again 03:17
05.Edge Of The Sun 03:48
06.Give It Up For Love 02:55
07.Turn The Card Slowly 04:27
08.Tell Me Something 04:09
09.Light It Up 03:06
10.Tough 03:38
11.Peace and Quiet 03:30
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41:02
Real Power is Gossip's first album in 12 years, when singer Beth Ditto
walked away to launch a solo career, act, start a clothing line and
model. She has admitted to needing a break, but that "in the music
industry you're not allowed to have that. So you end up making things
you don't like. You become a product." Indeed, Gossip's last record, A
Joyful Noise, felt a bit phoned-in after the hurricane force of their
mid-aughts, indie sleaze-defining output. Now, the band is recharged,
but bearing battle scarsùDitto divorced her wife, who she had been with
since she was 18; lost her father; and fell out of sorts with co-
founder and guitarist Nathan "Brace Paine" Howdeshell after he became a
born-again Christian. The two have repaired their relationship and,
along with drummer Hannah Blilie, they're not just re-treading the same
old ground. For one thing, producer Rick Rubinùa Buddhist and
Transcendental Meditation devotee who can rock out with the best of
themùwas a fascinating choice to oversee their comeback, and Ditto has
said he brought a needed calm and peace to the proceedings. That does
not mean boring. Songs like "Tough" and "Don't Be Afraid" feel stripped
down and vulnerable compared to old Gossip records; that's not to say
stark, but the air shifts to allow Ditto to bare a tender, Freda
Payne-esque side. "Crazy Again" is subdued but with sunny guitar and a
great kick-in, as Ditto seems to sing about finding love after divorce:
"Don't invite me home/ I'm fragile at the moment/ Heart of glass."
"Turn the Card Slowly," meanwhile, feels hauntedùits edgy, lone-wolf
guitar line tracking lines such as "Is it the last time/ Was it the
first time/ Your love is a swinging door"; it's like a transmission
from some alternate Stevie Nicks universe. "Edge of the Sun" is
velveteen dance-floor pop, "Give It Up for Love" plays with New Wave
disco, and "Light It Up" applies a sing-song melody to emo-pop mid-
tempo balladry. "Act of God" is an absolute fearless delight: a thick
slab of Motown soul set to cheeky organ and a great galloping rhythm,
conjuring wild horses tromping across a landscape. And the title track
sounds like revolution via the revelation that it's not enough just to
make a difference in an insular community. Accompanied by cool funk
guitar and buzzy synth, Ditto sounds every bit the soul diva as she
declares "Rhythm in my blood, my heart is pounding à I want real
power." (C) Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz
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