Underwolrd & Iggy Pop - Teatime Dub Encounters EP

Underworld & Iggy Pop
Teatime Dub Encounters EP
2018
Spotify

On Paper it looks great. Electronic pioneers in the twilight of their career teaming up with an old school rock and roll icon. These guys have experience, something to say and a sneer that should make this album fucking great. "Bells & Circles" the albums opener is a spoken word recounting of the way things used to be when you could smoke on the airplane. It's about the freedom to do what you want on the surface, but it's also misogynistic and celebratory of a rather idiotic time. It's a thumb to the nose of modern PC culture, but for Iggy and Underworld to take up this cause feels in a word: odd. This is usually the rallying call of Trump supporters, not aging musicians. The music feels like Underworld and they get into some super slick areas, but Iggy's words are so clear and in your face it's all you can focus on. Underworld creates this deeply rich environment for Iggy to just fucking wax poetic over for almost thirty minutes. You can almost feel the darkness and lasers pumping out of these tracks only to be quashed by Iggy literally screeching. The times he "sings" like on "Trapped" are somewhat better, but end up being repetitive and so similar in message that it looses almost all of it's punch. Instead of bringing something new, we have yet another old man talking about the how much better the things used to be. Isn't this exactly what Iggy used to hate?

This album honestly feels like the problem with baby boomers as a whole. Now 71, and a bonafied rock star for the majority of those years, Iggy really should have nothing to complain about, yet somehow makes himself out to be the victim of society moving on. It would be different if Iggy was making bold claims or really revealing something true, but this album falls more on the side of petty inconveniences making his life hard. There is a way to share your life story and the lessons it has taught you without diminishing the audience in front of you, but Iggy isn't interested in that. Maybe that is why "I'll See Big" is just one long explanation for why He is such an asshole, but also bot apologetic in any sense of the word. These are the ramblings of an old man, but unlike reaching beautiful conclusions like Bowie or examining a life in stark detail like Lenoard Cohen, Iggy's third act is closer aligned with Ted Nugent. Underworld for their part, provided some great beats but once they heard these lyrics they should have pulled the eject lever on this thing. It appears Iggy Pop has become one in a long line of angry old bitter men.

4.0 out of 10