Album Review: Iggy Pop - "Every Loser"

 

It might just be me but I could've sworn that Iggy's previous album, 2016's Post Pop Depression, was meant to be his last. Ah well, can't keep a good chaos engine down I guess and you're certainly not gonna find me complaining about a new album from the lord of misrule in my inbox. Especially when they kick in with a slice of prime Iggy foul-mouthed aggression like Frenzy. Ig might well be in his seventies now but on this evidence, he's still got an aggression that'd be impressive in a frontman half his age.

But if you think this is gonna be Iggy going into heritage mode then Strung Out Johnny quickly puts paid to that with an almost Sisters of Mercy style goth vibe to it before a big soaring chorus. With a backing band (Duff McKagan on bass, the Red Hot Chili Peppers' Chad Smith on bass and multi-instrumentalist Andrew Watt) locked in and tight, this is Iggy proving that even after five decades in the game he's got the capacity to surprise. New Atlantis is a curveball as well with its acoustic led spoken word intro giving way to a cowbell-infused chorus which sounds like a darker cousin of the Stones' Honky Tonk Women.

Modern Day Rip-Off sees Iggy cranking the pressure back up again, one part classic Stooges and one part something that could've sat on his underappreciated '90s effort Naughty Little Doggie before the surprisingly gentle Morning Show brings side one to a close - another unexpected twist with its gentle acoustic guitar and piano which works surprisingly well.

Side two kicks in with the frenetic aggression of Neo-Punk and the sinister irritable angst of All The Way Down as this one shows no signs of letting up. Comments is similarly dark, underpinned by a twitchy bassline from Jane's Addiction's Steven Avery - similar to Strung Out Johnny, there's a definite bit of a goth/new wave feel to it, maybe a bit like Bauhaus with some icy keyboards and angry anti-showbiz lyrics ("Sell your face to Hollywood/I'm feelin' good, feelin' good..."). Which just leaves the six minute blast of fury that is Regency to bring things off - again, there's a bit of a gothy feel to this with the icy guitars reminding me of John McGeoch which is never a bad thing. A suitably powerful punch to end this one with.

So then, Iggy's best since Lust For Life? Well, I'm not sure I'd go quite that far but I'd definitely say Every Loser is his strongest in many moons, maybe since that awesome early '90s run of Brick By Brick, American Caesar and Naughty Little Doggie. Not a bad album to review as our first new release of 2023 by any means - don't be surprised if in eleven months' time you see Every Loser up there in our end of year list.

NITE SONGS RATING: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑 (9/10)

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