As much as I love Beth Ditto's voice, I must concur with the detractors -- this is an inconsistent, incomplete album. It differs from 'That's Not What I Heard' in that there are actual "songs" here, as compared to the "skits" that defined the first album. Because of the clarity of the production and the longer songs, The Gossip's flaws are more obvious here; the lyrics are bad (and yes, embarrassing at times), and The Gossip are yet to learn any sense of dynamics. It's a relentlessly loud, jarring, almost assaulting affair; with Beth belting, and Brace and Kathy "hammering" their instruments. For this reason, I can understand those that say this album is boring compared to the first one. It lacks variety, and it seems like The Gossip didn't put much effort into the songs; they are simply coasting on Beth's amazing voice.
That said, there are some good songs here. 'Nite' has a sense of urgency and longing, showcasing Beth's gospel tones wonderfully. 'Jason's Basement' is the strongest of the bunch, as it's the fastest, most swaggering and energetic. 'No No No' and 'Don't Make Waves' are decent. 'Yesterday's News' is a startlingly honest moment about Beth's ex-girlfriend. Beth's ambivalence and vulnerability here are unprecedented. 'Fire/Sign' is great, once again showing off the band's soulful swagger. The only real bellyflop here is 'Dangerrr', where Beth milks her "baby", "honey" motifs repeatedly, which is one of The Gossip's biggest flaws -- rather than creating inventive verses, they simply write a few lines and then repeat them for the entire duration of the song. I'm not sure about 'Lesson Learned', though, a song about being different and relishing it, featuring the common lyric "I don't ever wanna be that girl, saddest thing in the whole wide world."
Beth is supremely talented, but you can't help but feel like her talents are wasted on this. The Gossip's punk manifesto is actually the very thing that's holding them back - the instrumentation is sloppy (though less so than on the debut album), the lyrics are poor, and the liner notes are littered with typos. If The Gossip concentrated on writing great songs and being accomplished musicians, rather than simply justifying their flaws in the name of punk rock, they could make a great album. With that said, both Gossip albums have their virtues and are worth checking out if only for Beth's rich, sexy voice.
just say no to haterade
Inconsistent
