Gossip
A Joyful Noise
Capitol Records
May 2012
All music is an argument; an exchange of intense emotion. And no one can argue with Beth Ditto. Consistently fresh, always accessible, A Joyful Noise, the band’s fifth album, holds water to any Fleetwood Mac album. Ditto’s voice conjures a parallel spirit to Stevie Nicks’ raw emotive power. And somewhere Siouxsie Sioux is smiling. A post-punk balladeer, Ditto, backed by synth crescendos and a tight, persistent rhythm section, has created yet another mesh of angst and pop sensibilities. Obvious stand out tracks are “Melody Emergency,” “Into The Wild,” and “Perfect World.” A Joyful Noise is an apparition, a delightful haunting.
Listen to this: at your wild dance party for one on a steamy summer night after your air conditioner has decided to break down.
— Matthew D’Abate