Album Of The Week: Iggy Pop’s Post Pop Depression

There was a heartbreaking start to 2016 with the deaths of legends Lemmy Kilmister from  Motorhead and David Bowie. The old guard is fading away bit by bit, but punk icon Iggy Pop rises with authority with his new release Post Pop Depression that’s due out on March 18. The album has an all-star cast featuring Josh Homme from master blasters Queens Of The Stone Age, fellow QOTSA member, guitarist and keyboardist from The Dead Weather Dean Fertita and Arctic Monkeys’ drummer Matt Helders. With these impeccable talents, Post Pop Depression roars with brilliance on multiple levels.

Pop’s latest release is an homage to Bowie’s influential Berlin trilogy, and it exudes classic art rock and dark tones. Although it has vintage qualities, there are also peculiar structures that give it a modern vibe. Pop’s crooning harks back to the start of his solo career where he was putting out material that had a hint of elegance. The darkness of it all from track to track will haunt your senses. It all comes together to make for a fantastic album that absolutely slays.

With all the craziness that’s been going on this year, music fanatics need Pop’s new album to give them a release from what’s happening in the world. To go deeper into this gem of an album, get up close and personal with my top tracks off of the Album Of The Week.

The lead single off of the album, “Gardenia,” has a mesmerizing chorus that’ll invade your mind and Fertita’s bass provides an excellent backbone to the record. Pop’s spoken word in the middle of the track adds a different dimension that separates it from the rest of the album. “Sunday” has some groove to it; Homme’s riffs are borderline disco. The backing vocals are nice as well, and the orchestral finish takes the song in a totally opposite direction. Fertita on the keys makes “Chocolate Drops” absolutely lovely; the whole track has this ’60s pop feel that’s incredible.

In support of Post Pop Depression, Iggy Pop and the band will be rolling through one of the most storied theaters on the planet at The Orpheum in Boston on April 11. It should be one of the best shows to happen in New England this year. If you go, pick up the new album. It’s bound to shift your psyche in a bunch of different directions.

Stream “Gardenia” on Youtube: youtube.com/watch?v=1m8TmlS20ZA
Iggy Pop’s Website: iggypop.com