Album: Gossip, A Joyful Noise (Columbia)

 

Simon Price
Saturday 12 May 2012 21:18 BST
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

It's a crying shame, the way Beth Ditto blew it. In 2006-7 the Gossip leader had the potential to be a massive figure on the cultural landscape (with every pun intended).

A proudly plus-sized, queer-positive, working-class, feminist heroine blessed with a scorching soul voice, and backed with a white-hot disco-punk band.

Half a decade on, she already feels like a footnote. And she and the Gossip have nobody to blame but themselves. A Joyful Noise pairs them up with Xenomania's Brian Higgins. This should be a stroke of genius, but Higgins has caught Ditto & co at a point where they appear to have disastrously lost their fire. Only "Love in a Foreign Place" shows the sort of strutting disco beast they are capable of. It's too little. But not, one still hopes, too late.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in