Entertainment!
Entertainment! makes a strong argument for leaving space in a rock song. Andy Gill’s guitar cuts in short, sharp bursts, while Dave Allen’s bass and Hugo Burnham’s drums keep the music moving. Jon King delivers his words with urgency rather than elegance. The parts pull against each other, but the band is tight.
The opening Ether sets out that approach. Bass and drums lock into a jerky rhythm, with the guitar adding interruptions rather than a comforting layer of chords. Natural’s Not in It makes a similarly simple pattern feel almost impossible to shake. The songs are forceful, yet danceability matters as much as aggression.
Damaged Goods is a particularly good example. Its quick exchange between guitar and bass opens into a fast, lean performance. When the guitar drops away, the bass gets more room; when it returns, the whole song seems to sharpen. The vocal exchanges add another rhythmic element. Nothing needs to become a showy solo for the arrangement to stay exciting.
The words examine relationships, money, power and the stories people accept without questioning them. Not Great Men challenges the familiar version of history, while I Found That Essence Rare gives the record one of its strongest hooks. The direct language helps. These are songs with arguments inside them, rather than lectures with music attached.
The harsh guitar tone and dry vocals can wear you down, and Return the Gift is less gripping than the best material. Closing track Love Like Anthrax is deliberately more difficult, bringing feedback and competing vocal lines into the foreground. Even there, the rhythm keeps the experiment connected to the rest of the album. Entertainment! is intelligent, physical music that gets its message across through the playing as much as through the words.
