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Standing In The Way Of Control
by
Standing In The Way Of Control Image
Metascore
72

Generally favorable reviews - based on 23 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.4

Universal acclaim- based on 13 Ratings

  • Summary: This is the third LP for the Washington state punk trio.

Top Track

Standing In the Way of Control
Your back's against the wall There's no-one home to call You're forgetting who you are You can't stop crying It's part not giving in And part... See the rest of the song lyrics
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 16 out of 23
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 23
  3. Negative: 0 out of 23
  1. Spin
    91
    Gut-wrenching, foot-stomping punk. [Feb 2006, p.87]
    All this publication's reviews
  2. The A.V. Club
    83
    Ditto can wail like a gospel singer with bugs under her skin, or quietly sing with an almost palpable vulnerability, and her range suits The Gossip's jagged, bluesy post-punk well.
  3. Urb
    80
    Positively sneers with attitude. [Jan/Feb 2006, p.94]
    All this publication's reviews
  4. Prefix Magazine
    70
    Think Au Pairs or Delta 5, but filtered through Bikini Kill and the Rapture.
  5. Uncut
    70
    [The Gossip] have evolved a blend of rough and impassioned garage-soul that owes as much to Tina Turner, Peggy Lee and The Ronettes as it does to Sonic Youth and The White Stripes. [Mar 2006, p.96]
    All this publication's reviews
  6. Stylus Magazine
    67
    Fun and frequently powerful.
  7. The New York Times
    40
    This is a transitional album: many of the songs seem underwritten without all that noise on top; sometimes it sounds as if the band is still trying to figure out what to do with its tense, restrained new sound. [23 Jan 2006]
    All this publication's reviews

See all 23 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 9 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 1 out of 10
  1. peetyboy
    Jan 25, 2007
    10
    this sucks.
  2. timb
    Feb 2, 2006
    10
    my favorite record of 2006 so far . . .
  4. StallionArabhorse
    Feb 1, 2006
    9
    The only reason it doesn't get a 10 is because I miss Kathy Mendonca's drumming...don't get me wrong, the drums are fantastic The only reason it doesn't get a 10 is because I miss Kathy Mendonca's drumming...don't get me wrong, the drums are fantastic in a more supportive role, but rein in the power of this band a little too much...you can count the cymbal crashes on a couple of hands (compare this to their other records!) and they are buried in the mix...Kathy's drumming was an explosive and key element (and I loved the writing dynamic between the drums and guitars) and Hannah's are precise and dynamic in the right places, but a bit too 'subdued' for what these songs could sound like. Of course The Gossip are responsible for their own sound; I didn't want a repeat of any of their other records and welcome drastic departures (i.e., Le Tigre & Sleater-Kinney's latest records) but damn, I'm gonna miss Kathy--and I can't find anything regarding what happened to her. Beth is dead-on with her vocals as always and diversifies here...Nathan/Brace's guitars are still very groovacious but a bit toned down, less trebly and a little more 'loop'-oriented with notes vs. full chordal riffage. If I didn't have all their previous rec's to compare to, it'd have gotten a perfect 10.… Collapse
  5. MandiDD
    Feb 3, 2006
    9
    This album is by far there best.. its a crazy dancey punk album.. except that one sound.. coal into diamands... this album almost is as good This album is by far there best.. its a crazy dancey punk album.. except that one sound.. coal into diamands... this album almost is as good as them live... but dam.. that girl can get a croud up and dancing.. this cd rocks my socks...… Expand
  6. PierreV
    Oct 17, 2007
    9
    Patti Smith meets Aretha Franklin for some unadorned disco-punk. A very good surprise!
  7. DrunkenMaster
    Jan 28, 2006
    8
    Funktastic. Damn, that girl can sing!
  8. stevee
    Jun 7, 2009
    1
    One hit wonders.

See all 10 User Reviews

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