Preliminaires

iTunes Review

In his 60s, Iggy Pop throws in an unexpected mix of French pop and jazz, in addition to his usual rock strut, for this musical soundtrack to French author Michel Houellebecq’s eventually successful effort to make a film of his fourth novel The Possibility of An Island. It’s the story of an entertainer whose success as a social critic has worn him down to humanity and made him wish for an anonymous life on the Spanish coast. Pop’s a capable vocalist to deliver the dark news and worldview, landing somewhere near Leonard Cohen in the basso profundo darklands (“A Machine For Loving”). Yet, it isn’t all debonair serenading, though the Yves Montand and Edith Piaf standard “Les Feuilles Mortes (Autumn Leaves)” is mighty smooth. “Nice To Be Dead” cranks with an agitated guitar feedback fueling Pop’s deep throat confessions. However, the mood more closely aligns with the subtle pulsing shades of “How Insensitive” where Pop croons off into the distance. “Party Time” begins with 80s-styled keyboards and mechanical beats. “He’s Dead / She’s Alive” is a lo-fi acoustic jam. “King of the Dogs” works its way to New Orleans.