Gang of Four: Content

"Gang of Four arrived in the late 1970s with harshly danceable songs that depicted human relationships turning into commodities. Its jagged, sometimes virtually atonal grooves still echo through everything now called post-punk. And its lyrics, which at the time sounded dourly materialistic, grew all too prophetic. ... Gang of Four’s songwriters — [John] King, on lead vocals, and the guitarist Andy Gill — have a new rhythm section. And they have reclaimed, with a vengeance, their old attack. Once again, Gang of Four delivers a raw, syncopated wallop. The staggered impacts of Mark Heaney’s drums, Thomas McNeice’s bass and Mr. Gill’s guitar — with its glassy rhythm chops and staccato, distorted lead lines — make Mr. King’s terse vocal melodies bob and weave as if they were dodging bursts of flak. Punk, funk and reggae contribute to the sound — along with hints of math-rock, Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie — only to get caught up in the music’s precise melee" (Nate Chinen, "Critics' Choice," New York Times, 1/24/11).
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