Gossip - Movement

Gossip are supposedly the pinnacle of the recent blues-punk explosion and maybe it’s just me, but I don’t get it. On Movement the garage-riddled trio meld the screech of the female singer’s vocal chords with dirty guitar chords and rockabilly basslines to reach a conclusion of fun, gritty, and minimalist punk rock. And however exciting that may be after a song or two – and it is indeed exciting – Gossip simply fail to vary their garage rock attack in the slightest. Movement’s eleven tracks are virtually indecipherable from one another as the vocals become boring, the bluesy riffs run together, and the stomp-driven drums become little more than an annoying thud. Gossip simply fail to innovate or excite more than a few mere minutes. Movement simply sounds like a less talented Sleater-Kinney run through a grimy garage. [www.killrockstars.com]