The Gossip “Heavy Cross”/ (Black Lights Remix)
It’s understandable why longtime Gossip fans might be a little concerned after hearing the now-Portland-based band’s new single, “Heavy Cross”: with it’s semi-polished dance-rock thrust and tinge of disco, it has very little in common with the shaggy blues-rock that defined their earlier output. But damn if it still isn’t an epic mind-blower that launches their new major label-backed, Rick Rubin-produced era on an exciting note.
It’s slow-build intro of tightly-wound guitar, starry-eyed keyboard notes and Beth Ditto’s wailing of “a cruel, cruel world” kicks things off thrillingly, but once it’s main groove enters the picture a minute of the way in, an explosion of twitchy riffage and Beth’s eruption-like testifying, “Cross” grabs firm hold over your entire body and refuses to let go, beating you over the heard with it’s Stevie Nicks-ish fireworks until you have no choice but to let loose and pull out your best strut-shimmy.
If nothing else, after months of having so many tiny-voiced, electro-pop pixie chicks make us shake what our mother’s gave us, it’s simply exhilarating to be blasted across the fact with the super-sized pipes of Ditto on a ferocious dance charmer like this.
Catch the “maybe-or-maybe-not” official video of “Cross”, followed by an offering of the spazzy, Black Lights-helmed remix, below.
“Heavy Cross”‘ parent album, Music For Men, arrives June 22nd.
DL: “Heavy Cross (Black Lights Remix)” (alt)
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