PUBLIC IMAGE LTD Critical Soundbites For The New Album ‘WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW…’
“...a frequently hopeful and vulnerable collection of songs and impressions. ‘Big Blue Sky’ was inspired by the American landscape he's seen so often on cross-country tours with PiL. Amid the shimmer and throb on ‘Spice of Choice,’ he offers an encouraging view of life's possibilities and the ability to affect your destiny instead of surrendering to circumstance.”
--Steve Appleford, LOS ANGELES TIMES (9/8/2015)
"...construct sturdy grooves and momentum-building loops that Lydon sprays his voice all over like graffiti splattering a wall. The moments when the music matches the intensity of Lydon’s singing are exhilarating." --Marc Masters, PITCHFORK (9/15/2015)
“a record of disarming directness…” --4/5 MOJO (9/4/2015)
“a unique voice still raging…” --4/5 Q Magazine (9/4/2015)
“What The World Needs Now is a terrific record; more confident, arrogant, surprising, consistent and artistic than 2012’s rather fine This Is PiL, the new album validates the idea that PiL are a vital and evolving art rock band with an identity entirely separate from both the Sex Pistols and the more ‘commercial’ ’83-’92 ideations of PiL. ...Displaying a wide yet convincing arsenal of vocal identities, I have absolutely zero hesitation in stating that Lydon has never sounded better, an elder statesman of two movements—punk and post-punk—at the top of his game. Based on What The World Needs Now, there’s every sign that Lydon may be gaining serious artistic momentum as he gets older. …What The World Needs Now is PiL’s most surprising—and best—album in a generation.”
--Tim Sommer, NEW YORK OBSERVER (9/21/2015)
“The record sounds like it was born in a warm environment, Lydon’s voice cutting through the swirling rhythms and beats that the others created, much of it coming from improvisations in the studio as the tape rolled.”
--Peter Larsen, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER (9/13/2015)
“Blasting in with ‘Double Trouble,’ a bristling, staccato scrapper, the up-and-at-em energy rarely ebbs, peaking in the itchily danceable punk funk of ‘Whole Life Time’ and the lurching, dub- metallic rage of ‘Corporate.’ Capping it all is ‘Shoom,’ a song written in the voice of Lydon’s father that dismisses all existence with a foul-mouthed brio and reveals what it is the world needs: “another fuck off”. If it’s a fuck off as well-delivered and exhilaratingly fun as this, what security council could argue?”
--Emily MacKay, 4/5 THE GUARDIAN (9/6/2015)
“an impressive comeback… Lydon remains a devout pop modernist.” --UNCUT (9/4/2015)
“…a visionary musician who’s hocked his spittle into the mic for decades and will compromise only when he’s dead.” --Dan Weiss, SPIN (9/9/2015)
“A still-vital John Lydon rages towards retirement on a saucy, scuzzy new album.” --NME (9/4/2015)
“Lydon remains at his most cogent and compelling when making music.” --4/5 MAIL ON SUNDAY (9/4/2015)
“…these 11 funk-stained numbers prove John Lydon is still as relevant and necessary as he has ever been.” --UNDER THE RADAR (9/4/2015)
“…the barrelling tumult of ‘Double Trouble’, the Bowie-esque grandeur of ‘Bettie Page’ and the Roxy Music-ish thrust of ‘Spice of Choice’ flaunt energised reserves of elevating, Davros- barking distinction.” --INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY (9/4/2015)
“What The World Needs Now builds on This Is PiL in just about every way, taking the band in new directions while remaining rooted in the sound that PiL invented so long ago. For those who thought the band's 2012 return album was a one-shot burst, you're dead wrong, and you're lucky you are.” --PUNK NEWS (9/4/2015)
“…a strong follow-up that finds the cantankerous curmudgeon in a bit of a Roxy Music mood, though riddled with expletives. PiL veteran Lu Edmonds (briefly ex-Damned) tastefully shifts his guitar between Andy Gill’s Gang of Four skronk attack and the airy soul of David Bowie guitarist Carlos Alomar, while longtime drummer Bruce Smith (The Pop Group) successfully varies between post-punk funk and dub reggae beats. Relative newcomer, bassist/keyboardist Scott Firth (Elvis Costello) keeps the low end pounding and wobbling, a perfect complement to Lydon’s brilliantly acerbic sneer at everything he finds distasteful. Welcome to the new era of PiL: kicking the kids in the ass once again.”
--Jack Rabid, THE BIG TAKEOVER (September/October 2015)
“The journey from album opener ‘Double Trouble’ to ‘Shoom’ reflects a certain resilience that could indeed be seen as emblematic of what the world needs now. The bold current incarnation of PiL has delivered a righteous album that does its title justice, all while pushing the music forward.”
--Chad Radford, FLAGPOLE MAGAZINE (Athens, GA, October 28, 2015)
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