-
8.0
2974
8.0 |
Uncut
Considering the insular guttersnipe punk community that bred them, making such an explicitly, joyously pop record as Music For Men is a bold move, but not – as will no doubt be suggested – a cynical sell-out.
Read Review
-
8.0
2977
8.0 |
The List
Despite its much-touted counsel from legendary US producer Rick Rubin, Music for Men is no great departure from The Gossip’s previous albums
Read Review
-
8.0
2979
8.0 |
The Independent
Rubin's skill lies in the way he's managed to sit Ditto's vocals comfortably among the limber arrangements without sounding as if she's in conflict with the music, which was occasionally the case on previous recordings
Read Review
-
8.0
2981
8.0 |
musicOMH
While Music For Men was made to be heard by the masses, to make them listen, it loses none of the freaky, punk spirit and originality that has kept their devotees loyal. This is a truly astonishing effort; a crowdpleaser and a call to arms - now let's go and change the world
Read Review
-
8.0
2988
8.0 |
The Quietus
Delivering the occasional flash of pop glory, however, has always been within The Gossip's capabilities; where Music For Men outstrips its predecessors is in its glossier musical palette
Read Review
-
8.0
2991
8.0 |
Rolling Stone
Punk purists may hate it. But dance-floor revelers will drown them out.
Read Review
-
7.0
2989
7.0 |
NME
For the most this is a frivolous, joyful celebration: of all love, heartbreak, sex and dancing. If the band was formed as a means of escaping the closed-mindedness of their Southern backgrounds, then this is the fruits of their emancipation. And who can deny them that?
Read Review
-
7.0
2983
7.0 |
Independent on Sunday
Ditto's almost absurdly soulful vocals set against an urgent rock-disco backing – hasn't altered significantly on their Rick Rubin-produced fourth album
Read Review
-
7.0
2975
7.0 |
Spin
Ditto's huge voice can't do soft, so it shoots skyward on ""Love Long Distance,"" and coupled with a mechanical piano and canned beat, the band starts to sound a bit catatonic. But the rest of Music for Men is a tightly wound disco-punk conjugation
Read Review
-
6.4
2987
6.4 |
Pitchfork
Being caught between the mainstream and the underground may have changed the band's visibility, but it hasn't changed their music much. That is both a relief and little bit of a disappointment. As a musical statement of intent to the throngs of the newly interested, Music For Men shows a clear picture of who Gossip want to be-- a New Millennial Madonna for whom Danceteria never closes
Read Review
-
6.0
2990
6.0 |
PopMatters
Even the show-stopping “Men in Love” feels as though it thinks it’s more rebellious than it actually is. ... It’s catchy, as are most of the tracks here, but it’s all glitter and glitz and even if “everybody’s waking up with someone,” it just feels like a one-night stand
Read Review
-
6.0
2973
6.0 |
Observer Music Monthly
The Gossip's lean template of white-funk guitars and stentorian gender politics never sounded so pristine. By track 12, it feels a bit like being told off by the B-52's
Read Review
-
6.0
2976
6.0 |
The Guardian
There's no escaping the fact that Music for Men doesn't do the thing it really needs to: level the disparity between the size of Beth Ditto's celebrity and her band's musical achievements
Read Review
-
6.0
2982
6.0 |
The Scotsman
Beth Ditto's powerhouse holler remains a potent calling card but what the album lacks is that killer track to rival Standing In The Way Of Control
Read Review
-
6.0
2980
6.0 |
The Irish Times
When they bring real sass and oomph to the samba- referencing Pop Goes the World , the ominous Vertical Rhythm or the vigorous garage of 8th Wonder , that Gossip provide deserved talking points
Read Review
-
5.0
2986
5.0 |
Drowned In Sound
The Gossip are famous (for now), and some debate about role models and musical icons has taken place as a result. But should we have expected any of this to have turned them into a band of extravagantly talented songwriters? I don’t think so, no
Read Review
-
5.0
2984
5.0 |
The Observer
While her existence remains A Good Thing, a reminder that the worlds of music and fashion were once playgrounds for misfits and outsiders, Ditto is also a thoroughly conventional product of the times. Her gift for self-promotion trumps all else. This summer she launches a clothing range at Evans, but greatness as a musician is proving more elusive
Read Review
-
4.0
2985
4.0 |
The Sunday Times
One decent track on an album may turn out to be enough to maintain the momentum of a career built more on magazine covers, thanks to the celebrity of the singer, Beth Ditto, than on music, but it’s a disappointing ratio all the same
Read Review
-
4.0
2978
4.0 |
The Times
One slab of slinky, superconfident funk genius has a counterproductive effect when placed amid 11 performances barely fit to hold its coat. Someone really ought to have told Beth Ditto: star quality v great band — it’s not an either/or thing
Read Review
-