“A lot of geezers my age don’t work out of their comfort zone anymore because once you become legendary you don’t want people challenging you.”- Iggy Pop
Secret projects can be fun.
It could start with a simple text message. “Hey – it would be great if we got together and maybe write something sometime – Iggy.”
Next thing, you’re out at Joshua Tree with Joshua Homme. Josh enlists his (Queens Of The Stone Age) bandmate and Dead Weather stalwart Dean Fertita, and throws an Arctic Monkey on percussion in the form of Matt Helders.
Post Pop Depression is the result.
Homme and Pop financed the project without the familiar constraints of a major record label, with Homme ably playing the role of producer as well as multi-instrumentalist. His sonic DNA is spilled all over the walls of this record.
The tone of the group is a remarkably balanced sum of its parts. The smack of Stooges meeting Queens meeting Monkeys is undeniable, yet this is not like other music.
[include_post id=”469577″]’Gardenia’ is shimmering and bright, ‘American Valhalla’ driven by gritty bouncing overdriven bass guitar tones, juxtaposed by a shiny-clean piano shadowing the vocal melody. ‘Sunday’ sees Helders driving a fast-marching beat to provide the floor for sparse guitar and echo-backed vocals.
There are patches in the latter half of the record that feel somewhat disjointed to its earlier tracks, adding a certain unevenness when listening to it as a complete work.
The album closer Paraguay begins with an acapella round, before Spanish-influenced modes drive an angry lament to cowardly escape.
“I’m gonna break into your heart / I’m gonna crawl under your skin” is the haunting lyric that permeates the opening track. Post Pop Depression sees Iggy stand by that promise.
