The Phoenix Network:
 
 
About  |  Advertise
Adult  |  Moonsigns  |  Band Guide  |  Blogs  |  In Pictures
 
CD Reviews  |  Classical  |  Live Reviews  |  Music Features

Beth Ditto | Beth Ditto EP

Deconstruction (2011)
By JEREMY ADAMS  |  February 1, 2011
2.5 2.5 Stars

 020411_Ditto

Remember when Mary Beth "Ditto" Patterson was just a blues singer? The Arkansas-born belter used to wail punk blues for the Gossip - the trio who made her a star - like the second coming of Janis Joplin. She still fronts the group, but things have changed: the Gossip dropped the "the" and began to synthesize their sound, a trend that culminated in 2009's polished Music for Men. Meanwhile, Ditto became an international celebrity and fashionista, repping for the likes of Jean-Paul Gaultier and at one point even penning an advice column for London's Guardian titled "What Would Beth Ditto Do?" She's channeled her popularity into a four-track solo effort produced by Simian Mobile Disco, a British DJ duo for whom she's previously contributed guest vocals. (See their "Cruel Intentions.") Beth Ditto EP continues the digitization of Ditto's and — more broadly — Gossip's music, sometimes even stepping into pure disco, and any trace of guitars has been replaced with Euro-club beats. It's all well and good, but this experiment works best when Ditto showcases her snarly pipes, as on the break-up-themed cruncher "Open Heart Surgery." Otherwise, she's just awash in layers of electronica that dilute her Southern bite.

Related: Review: Patti Smith's Just Kids, Photos: 'Seeing Songs' at MFA, Kicking the habits, More more >
  Topics: CD Reviews , Janis Joplin, Beth Ditto, Beth Ditto,  More more >
| More
Add Comment
HTML Prohibited

 Friends' Activity   Popular   Most Viewed 
[ 04/24 ]   Anime Boston  @ Hynes Convention Center
[ 04/24 ]   Julian Lage  @ Club Passim
[ 04/24 ]   "Platform 5: Paul Bartow and Richard Metzgar"  @ DeCordova Sculpture Park and Museum
ARTICLES BY JEREMY ADAMS
Share this entry with Delicious
  •   BETH DITTO | BETH DITTO EP  |  February 01, 2011
    Remember when Mary Beth "Ditto" Patterson was just a blues singer? The Arkansas-born belter used to wail punk blues for the Gossip - the trio who made her a star - like the second coming of Janis Joplin.
  •   REVIEW: ROSE ELINOR DOUGALL | WITHOUT WHY  |  August 31, 2010
    Formerly known only as "Rosay" in British retro-pop girl group the Pipettes, Rose Elinor Dougall left the band in 2008 and released a series of singles.

 See all articles by: JEREMY ADAMS

MOST POPULAR
RSS Feed of for the most popular articles
 Most Viewed   Most Emailed 



  |  Sign In  |  Register
 
thePhoenix.com:
Phoenix Media/Communications Group:
TODAY'S FEATURED ADVERTISERS
Copyright © 2011 The Phoenix Media/Communications Group