Album Review: Listen Up by The Gossip

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Album Name: Listen Up

Artist: The Gossip

Year/Label: 2006 / Backyard

a Review by David Adair

Arkansas’ answer to Aretha Franklin performing against a slow building disco groove, with a slight jungle backbeat demonstrates Gossip’s funky feel given off in the album version to this worried but strong-minded single. The backstabbing nature of life’s rat-race has never been so soulfully nutshell-slotted. Three workings of the track help you to take various ganders at the thoughtful offering. The beat monkey’s out there will dig the vibe that is slid off in the Tronik Youth Remix, providing a Chicane style groove for the authoritatively enticing vocals of Beth Ditto to plane over.

Singer Beth Ditto takes on a hovering blues style in the B-side ‘Are U That Somebody’. This is given a rustic and troubled feel by the grinding bass of Bruce Paine. Gossip speak out, as well as providing food for the thoughtful dance lovers some variety, helped by their life experience gained from breaking out of the trap of Arkansas life with their liberalness in tact.

Rating; 3.5/5

Track Listing
1. Jealous Girls
2. Coal To Diamonds
3. Jealous Girls
4. Jealous Girls
5. Jealous Girls
6. Jealous Girls

[The Gossip Official Site]

[Buy at Amazon]

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