No good manners
We’ve all learnt that primal instincts should be kept under control. But rock is not about manners, it’s carnal. And no one knows this better than Iggy Pop, a man who uses rock music to make peace with his primal side.
At a time when other artists of his generation are either dead or early in bed, Iggy Pop is not afraid to fill his 19th album with animalistic tendencies. He is eternal and this album is the perfect way to break free from a world where civilization reaches absurd levels.
A producer who knows what he’s looking for
Surprising at first sight, the album was produced by Andrew Watt, the Grammy-awarded producer mostly known for his work with big pop names like Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and Dua Lipa. It seems to be a strange collaboration, but Andrew also worked on Ozzy Osbourne’s last two albums and helped Eddie Vedder with his solo material “Earthling”.
Iggy Pop has always carefully selected his producers, the most famous being David Bowie. At 32, Andrew has the perfect level of admiration for the superstar to bring out the best of him. Thanks to this collaboration, authentic punk is back, and it’s not a look at the past nor a copy of the present. It’s a fan’s desire to see his favorite artist reaching the climax.
Other important names who contributed to this album are Duff McKagan (Guns’N’Roses), Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam), and Eric Avery (RHCP), which is probably Watt’s work as well. The album also offers a chance to hear one of the last collaborations of the late Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters). Any rock superstar would like to have such artists in his studio.
Neo punk
One of the best songs on the album is called “Neo Punk”. With a bit over two minutes and a voice that’s more pop-punk than what he used to do at the beginning of this movement, this song is a beautiful irony to those who create this kind of music only to afford to buy some Gucci.
Travis Barker from Blink 182, the poster-child of this generation of fake anarchists, plays the drums, which is part of the irony. Instead of being mean, Iggy Pop criticizes in an elegant and honest manner the downfall of the genre. When you look at how things have changed since The Stooges, the overused expression “punk is dead” seems to be true. But it’s not, of course. Punk is alive, and Iggy Pop as well. Time didn’t really leave a mark on him. He’s still primal, carnal, and authentic.
