aaamusic | On 02, Feb 2016

I lived for a short time with Iggy Pop’s guitar maker and I learnt something from all the sordid tales of savage debauchery: Iggy never slows down. At 68 years old you might expect the spindled rocker to take a break or maybe cobble together a greatest hits to line the coffers. Not Iggy though, teaming up with Joshua Homme and Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, plus Matt Helders of the Arctic Monkeys to record his latest album Post Pop Depression.

The first single is ‘Gardenia’, showcased by Iggy and his entourage on America’s Late Show with Stephen Colbert. It’s a return to form somewhat, with the clear influence of Joshua Homme benefiting the indelible style of Iggy. Homme brings a complexity to the track with his usual brand of intricate guitar work and this, coupled with some excellent production, giving ‘Gardenia’ a professional sheen. Iggy’s vocals are fantastic as well, if a little subtle compared to his usual snarl. It seems age has benefitted his voice in ways that normally cripple most artists. His voice exhibits a maturity fitting the theme Iggy wanted the track to exude; that of a man feeling past his usefulness and searching for honour. ‘Gardenia’ is a definite departure from the norm of a rocker reluctant to rest on his laurels. In the words of Iggy himself: “A lot of geezers my age don’t work out of their comfort zone anymore because once you become legendary you don’t want people challenging you.”

‘Gardenia’ maintains a dreamy quality throughout and represents the best piece of material to come out of Iggy Pop since the 1977 release of Lust for Life. Here’s hoping the rest of the new album sounds this good.

Tom Gill