Album Review: Beth Ditto - Fake Sugar

Former Gossip lead singer Beth Ditto has hit it out of the park with her first solo album.

Energetic, catchy and tight as hell — as the ol' cliche goes, this is all killer, no filler. Opener Fire gets you right in the pop feels — familiar but not derivative, with follow-ups In And Out and Fake Sugar delivering similar joy. We Could Run is a slower singalong with a soaring chorus (get your lighters, or rather, your light apps out), while those wanting the punkier edge of Gossip are served mid-album with Oo La La, a sexy heavy track that plays more than the iconic Standing In The Way Of Control, but still has the (metaphoric) balls-out delivery. Oh My God moves almost into country or blues — a ballad that has heartbreak at its core, but with a satisfying twist. When Ditto wails "I don't care what anybody thinks of me" it's a call to arms rather than defiance — and her leadership as an artist and icon should be celebrated. Meanwhile, Love In Real Life is just straight-up fine songwriting and delivery. Towards the end Ditto asks Do You Want Me To with a sultry dance backing — and it's only a cold heart that could refuse.