The Pop Corporation

A new LP from Iggy Pop is always a roll of the dice, not that anyone is holding that against one of the greatest to ever do it. When he’s great, he’s untouchable – and then there’s the other Iggy who we’re rooting for and thinking about ‘No Fun’.

So, a new album called ‘Every Loser’ to kick off the new year? A 75 year old, shirtless man with an Instagram famous parrot and that voice. It’s so great to have him around, given that every music journalist in the 1970s would have bet their mortgage he wouldn’t make it to 40 years old. And here he is, with loud guitars and switching between caterwauling, crooning and spoken word sections. It’s not at all bad, if not vintage Ig.

He’s worked with many people over the years, and this time around, he’s working with Andrew Watt who has a Grammy or two, and has worked with Elton John and Miley Cyrus – good, tarty stuff for punk’s greatest tart. Thankfully, Watt has left enough of the grit in to keep die-hard Iggy fans happy. Listen to ‘Modern Day Ripoff’ and you’ll be like ‘yep! That’s the Stooges right there!‘ before something quite funky unfurls underneath all that fuzz. The most fun is ‘Neo Punk’ though, which is basically a panic attack across a couple of minutes while Iggy channels some of the DC hardcore he was so influential to in the first place. Good, daft fun. In ‘All The Way Down’, he’s pining and calling in a classic Solo Iggy Bootstomper.

While it isn’t all amazing (and why would it be? Who is expecting that from a man in his ’70s?), it’s great to hear Iggy enjoying himself. There’s chuckles, tossed aside lines, he’s sounding fit and healthy… it’s got moments where you completely forget that this isn’t a much younger man. It’s sleazy fun.

When he sings “I’m alive, uncompromised” you think ‘GOOD FOR YOU!’, because a world with Iggy Pop in it is always more colourful and more fun.

Iggy’s solo output can be a bit patchy, but this is one of his better efforts and indeed, with more listens over the years, could easily become something of a hidden gem in the backcat. Instead of waiting for someone else to tell you it’s hidden treasure, give it a whirl now because the high points on ‘Every Loser’ are definitely worth your time, even if there’s a couple you’ll end up skipping.

Thanks Ig. You’re the best.