It’s been an exciting time for Iggy Pop fans with the release of his new album, Every Loser. But the record will leave many fans scratching their heads. The album references cloud seeding, the dangers of high fluoride exposure, and an olive garden breadstick government conspiracy.
The album starts with a bang, with the opening track Frenzy opening with a catchy chorus about the dangers of fluoride poisoning. The lyrics are far from the classic Iggy Pop sound, with the singer warning listeners to “keep your mouth shut if you don’t want to rot.“
The following track, “Strung Out Johnny”, is a rousing rocker that waxes poetic about the potential dangers of cloud seeding. The chorus begs the listener to “beware the sky, for it may rain down poison.” It’s a strange departure from Iggy’s usual themes of sex and drugs, but it’s certainly catchy.
Things only get weirder from there. The third track is a country-tinged ballad called “New Atlantis,” which posits a wild theory about the government controlling bread stick supplies and Olive Garden being at the centre of it. It’s one of the album’s more memorable tracks but also one of the most confusing.
For the die-hard fans, the track “Neo Punk” sound like the Iggy Pop we all know and love until it devolves into an expose on the government covering up its psychedelic drug experiments in the sixties, with lyrics including “the government’s got something they don’t want us to know.” and powerful chorus of “keep your eyes shut, it’s better that way.”
The rest of the album follows a similar pattern, with Iggy Pop exploring interesting and often bizarre themes. While it’s certainly a unique listen, it’s not likely to be a fan favorite. Every Loser is an interesting experiment that will likely confuse many fans.
After listening, I did walk away with a feeling the government was watching me that I couldn’t shake. And maybe that is the message Iggy is trying to convey with this record: don’t trust the government.