Ivanka’s lucky to hear this one
It’s a sun-filled summer day, perfect for a beach excursion, but the inner impromptu adventurer decides to go elsewhere—the desert. Perhaps a place that is typically considered less desirable, the desert is the landscape for the detail-oriented, the lovers of nooks and crannies, those who frequently satisfy their simple pleasures. Alas, the desert is not for everyone, and neither is Gang of Four’s new EP, Complicit— a project that trades flash for repetition, vocal leads for grinding instrumentals and distinct moods for complex ones.
While the EP overall hints at music that fits well with hot desert days, the opener, “Lucky,” is right at home in a middle school auditorium, clouded with cheap fog machines (let that smell re-enter the nose for a hot sec) and lit up green with those mock-sun rays. To be clear, that’s not a dig against it, but rather a compliment to Gang of Four for conjuring up unrelated moods, one of which is oddly specific and (perhaps reluctantly) nostalgic. No one loves middle school, but they might just love this song, distorted guitar, slightly buried lyrics, odd rhythmic choices and all.
The dame on the album cover, miss Ivanka Trump, gets a song with her name on it! Perfectly fitting after hearing “Only want something if my name’s on it,” in the midst of the wonky, robot-stranded-in-the-Mojave instrumental. “Ivanka (Things You Can’t Have)” delivers a satirical slap to the face of our current Commander-in-Chief and his family, all while sounding like a training montage or a “we’re so awesome” scene in a Dwayne Johnson film. Critiquing political leaders through music has happened for decades and will continue to happen, yet with Mr. Trump at the helm of our country, any and all critiques seem more appreciated and refreshing than they did for any previous president. The only drawback is witty lyrics that are muffled by the instrumentals, in a similar fashion to the preceding song. Such choices aren’t too bad on their own, but in succession, they become less desirable.
Bass blossoms in track three, “I’m a liar.” Though, a blossom still isn’t a full flower. Their orchestrations, like their muffled lyrics, lose a little of their spice by the third song, even with the addition of a more ear-catching bass line. Yet, all of these songs fair better with age. Gang of Four has somehow crafted a project that simultaneously weakens and strengthens with repeated listens.
The club remix of “Lucky” befriends the vocals more than the original and offers the liveliness that only a blurry, alcohol-fueled night in a downtown club can. With the abundance of remix EPs and full remixes of albums, it’s a little puzzling why this isn’t either its own single or a ‘single’ coupled with the original, especially given how the club sound picks up the listener with a claw crane and drops them in a packed metropolis. Overall, Complicit is a fairly solid work, but not one that will make any waves or rise to the top of the lists for any Gang of Four fans.
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