What Happens Next

Guitarist Andy Gill became the unquestioned leader of British post-punks Gang of Four on the sessions for 2015's What Happens Next, following the departure of vocalist Jon King in the wake of 2010's Content. Much of What Happens Next sounds like a careful effort to balance the thick but limber "neo-Marxist funk" of the band's first era with a more streamlined and contemporary electronic attack, with several guest vocalists (including Alison Mosshart, Herbert Grönemeyer, and Robbie Furze) and a production that's less funky and muscular than the group's best and best-known work. Despite this, there's still a tough, dance-friendly core to these songs, and Gill's guitar work remains thoughtful, incisive, and challenging, while his accompanists perform with skill and enthusiasm. And What Happens Next suggests a shift in lyrical philosophy; these ten songs wrestle with the the inner crises of the individual in the digital age, drawn in an intelligent and observant fashion, rather than the witty but pithy assessments of how politics and economics impact us on the large and small scales. Gill may offer a different sound and perspective on What Happens Next, but this remains a set of smart, provocative songs from a band that remains powerfully memorable. ~ Mark Deming