Gossip: Standing In The Way Of Control : Music Reviews : Rolling Stone

Gossip's third album was partly produced by Fugazi's Guy Picciotto at the studio (Seattle's Bear Creek) where Lionel Richie recorded "Dancing on the Ceiling," which is all you really need to know about the band's new direction. Brace Paine's dirty guitar lines grind in the Olympia, Washington, tradition, and the addition of drumming powerhouse Hannah Blilie means the trio's unvarnished blues punk now strides confidently onto the disco tiles. The change suits Beth Ditto's Poly Styrene-meets-Patti LaBelle belting just fine, especially when the martial grind of "Keeping You Alive" explodes into a floor-filling chorus. At times they try to get over with passion in place of proper tunes (the leaden ballad "Coal to Diamonds"), but this is still a righteous, life-affirming ride.