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What Happens Next (Gang of Four album)

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What Happens Next is the eighth studio album by English post-punk band Gang of Four. It was released on 24 February 2015 through Metropolis Records and Membran record label. It is the band's first album to feature John "Gaoler" Sterry on vocals, following vocalist Jon King's departure, which left the guitarist Andy Gill as the sole original member of the band.[1]

The album features contributions from Alison Mosshart of the Kills and Dead Weather, German musician Herbert Grönemeyer, The Big Pink member Robbie Furze and Japanese guitarist Tomoyasu Hotei.[2]

Background

Following the release of Gang of Four's seventh studio album, Content (2011) and accompanying touring, vocalist Jon King left the group because "he didn't want to tour anymore." Gill stated that he saw this as an opportunity to do some collaborations and decided to release the new material under the "Gang of Four" name. John "Gaoler" Sterry eventually joined the band as a vocalist and Gill contacted Alison Mosshart and Herbert Grönemeyer for collaborations.[3] The album also features performances from both the band's previous drummer Mark Heaney and the current drummer Jonny Finnegan.[4]

The track "Broken Talk" was first streamed in 2013.[5] In November 2014, it was revealed that the band recorded a new version of "Broken Talk" for the album, featuring Mosshart on lead vocals.[6] The music video for the track "England's In My Bones", featuring Mosshart was released on 5 February 2015.[7]

Musical style

The album's style is a departure from Gang of Four's previous sound. The album utilizes "mid-tempo metronomic beats, distorted-megaphone backing vocals, fuzz-filtered basslines, ominous electronic oscillations and keyboards," creating a sound similar to those of mid-90's alternative rock and industrial-influenced electronic rock acts, such as Nine Inch Nails, Stabbing Westward or God Lives Underwater.[8][9][10] The album also features "a less funky and muscular production" compared to the group's previous works, while still keeping "a dance-friendly core to these songs."[11]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic60/100[12]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
The A.V. ClubC[9]
Consequence of SoundC+[13]
DIY[14]
NME6/10[15]
NOW[16]
Paste9/10[17]
Pitchfork5.6/10[8]
PopMatters7/10[18]
Rolling Stone[19]

Upon its release, What Happens Next received mixed reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from critics, the album received an average score of 60, which indicates "mixed or average reviews", based on 19 reviews.[12] AllMusic critic Mark Deming wrote that "While there's much here Gill can point to with pride, more than a few fans are likely to feel they didn't get what was advertised."[11] Annie Zaleski of The A.V. Club thought that the album "foments no curiosity, just indifference—and for a band built on commanding attention for its politicized music, it’s a bitter pill to swallow."[9] Dan Caffrey of Consequence of Sound described it as "their least groovy album."[13] Dan Owens of DIY wrote: "Far from snug or welcoming, the Gang’s overpoweringly thick-sounding ninth album is as refreshingly abstract as anything they’ve done before."[14] NME critic Phil Hebblethwaite criticized the band's use of Gang of Four name, describing the album as "a distracted listen" and "an experimental Gill production that should be out under his name only."[15]

NOW critic Mark Streeter wrote: "Gang of Four rein in their frayed energy on What Happens Next, compartmentalized into a broad tonal range and spacious mix." Gillian G. Gaar of Paste praised the album, noting that " the angular guitar attack and the relentless pounding of the drums is a clear indication that the fire still burns within."[17] Stuart Berman of Pitchfork stated that "What’s most disappointing about What Happens Next is not that it will in any way tarnish Gang of Four’s legacy," pointing out that "if Gill had released this as some newly branded collaborative project, no one would question why it wasn’t a Gang of Four album."[8] Austin Price of PopMatters thought that "Gill has made an excellent effort of it here but there’s some reapportioning that needs to be done."[18] Nevertheless, Rolling Stone critic Amy Rose Spiegel panned the album, writing: "In place of once-sharp radical jabs, we get empty alarmism."[19]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Andy Gill except where noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Where the Nightingale Sings" 4:03
2."Broken Talk" (ft. Alison Mosshart) 4:22
3."Isle of Dogs" 3:48
4."England's In My Bones" (ft. Alison Mosshart) 3:12
5."The Dying Rays" (ft. Herbert Grönemeyer) 3:30
6."Obey the Ghost"Gill, Gaoler4:37
7."First World Citizen" (ft. Gail Ann Dorsey) 4:04
8."Stranded" 3:37
9."Graven Image" (ft. Robbie Furze) 4:05
10."Dead Souls" (ft. Hotei)Gill, Hotei3:23
Total length:38:41

Personnel

Gang of Four

  • Andy Gill – guitar, production, drum programming
  • Thomas McNeice – bass guitar (1—4, 6—10)
  • John "Gaoler" Sterry – lead vocals (1, 3, 6—8, 10)
  • Jonny Finnegan – drums (1, 3, 5-8, 10)
  • Mark Heaney – drums (2, 4, 9)

Additional musicians

Technical

Release history

Country Date Label
United States[2] 24 February 2015 Metropolis Records
United Kingdom[2] 2 March 2015 Membran

References

  1. ^ O'Neal, Sean (12 November 2014). "Band that is sort-of still Gang Of Four announces new album, tour". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Beauchemin, Molly (23 February 2015). "Gang of Four Stream New Album What Happens Next, Featuring the Kills' Alison Mosshart". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  3. ^ Weiss, Dan (20 February 2015). "Q&A: Gang of Four on Losing Their Lead Singer and Working With the Kills". Spin. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  4. ^ Nissim, Mayer (13 November 2014). "Gang of Four announce new album with Alison Mosshart collaboration". Digital Spy. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  5. ^ Minsker, Evan (13 March 2013). "New Gang of Four: "Broken Talk"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  6. ^ Minsker, Evan (12 November 2015). "Gang of Four Team With the Kills' Alison Mosshart for New Album What Happens Next, Share "Broken Talk"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  7. ^ Beauchemin, Molly (5 February 2015). "Gang of Four and The Kills' Alison Mosshart Share Video For "England's In My Bones"". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  8. ^ a b c Berman, Stuart (26 February 2015). "Gang of Four - What Happens Next". Pitchfork. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  9. ^ a b c Zaleski, Anne (24 February 2015). "Gang Of Four provokes indifference on What Happens Next". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  10. ^ Walton, Ben (13 March 2015). "Gang of Four - What Happens Next". Contactmusic.com. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  11. ^ a b c Deming, Mark. "Gang of Four - What Happens Next". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  12. ^ a b "What Happens Next - Gang of Four". Metacritic. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  13. ^ a b Caffrey, Dan (18 February 2015). "Gang of Four – What Happens Next". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  14. ^ a b Owens, Dan. "Gang of Four – What Happens Next". DIY. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  15. ^ a b Hebblethwaite, Phil (25 February 2015). "Gang Of Four - 'What Happens Next'". NME. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  16. ^ Streeter, Mark (18 February 2015). "Gang of Four – What Happens Next". NOW. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  17. ^ a b Gaar, Gillian G. (24 February 2015). "Gang of Four: What Happens Next Review". Paste. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  18. ^ a b Price, Austin (23 February 2015). "Gang of Four: What Happens Next". PopMatters. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  19. ^ a b Spiegel, Amy Rose (24 February 2015). "Gang of Four - What Happens Next". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
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