Forty years after the release of Raw Power and with erstwhile guitarist James Williamson's return to the fray, it seems as if Iggy and the Stooges are primed for a blistering return – despite the ominous title of their fifth album. In truth, the seminal punk band seem content to settle into their dotage. Like 2007's The Weirdness , this is an album that never really gets out of first gear. Pop's voice still sounds sneeringly vibrant on the punchy Job and Burn , but switching to an oaky baritone on the drab Unfriendly World and Beat That Guy spoils the energy awakened by the revved-up title track. Put simply, these songs are painfully average, even clichéd at times; Ready to Retire might have been a more accurate title.
Iggyandthe stoogesmusic.com Download: Ready to Die, Burn