John Lydon doesn’t seem like the jealous type. But I like to imagine that when he relaunched Public Image Ltd. six years ago, he saw the extended careers of peers like Mark E. Smith or David Thomas—iconic singers who can make interesting music with pretty much anyone—and thought, "Shit, I can do that too." He’d likely snort at the suggestion, but whatever his motivation, the two latest PiL albums are similar to recent Fall and Pere Ubu efforts: They’re solid not because of the songs, but because of the singer.
What the World Needs Now… is an improvement on 2012’s This Is PiL primarily because Lydon’s vocal theatrics and calisthenics are even more entertaining this time. He rants, spits, croons, screams, gulps, and whispers, all with equal commitment. In the process he injects tension into even the most predictable music. And much of What the World Needs Now… is musically predictable, but not in a bad way. At their best, PiL—again like the Fall—construct sturdy grooves and momentum-building loops that Lydon sprays his voice all over like graffiti splattering a wall.
The moments when the music matches the intensity of Lydon’s singing are exhilarating. Fiery opener "Double Trouble" is so cartoonishly angry it sounds like a Sex Pistols parody, until you realize Lydon’s in on the joke (the lyrics recount a mundane argument with his wife over toilet repair). Even sharper is the delirious "Know Now", where it sounds like Lydon got dizzy trying to keep up. This synergy works on some mellower songs too, such as the shuffling "The One" and the soaring "Spice of Choice".
Other mid-tempo tunes on What the World Needs Now… don’t fare as well. The line between compelling repetition and tedious wheel-grinding is pretty thin for this group, and though Lydon always battles valiantly to breath life into flatter songs, he can’t save them all. Things never quite fall apart completely, though it does become tough to find a heartbeat inside the fuel-deprived "Big Blue Sky". It doesn’t help that the tune’s disengaging loops and arena-rock choruses last for over eight minutes.
Those kinds of struggles come during What the World Needs Now...'s second half, which makes the album feel a bit like a five-mile race run by a sprinter. Things end on a pointed note, though, as Lydon solves the riddle of his own album title: "What the world needs now/ Is another fuck off!" Anyone ensnared by Lydon’s past work will find enough here to hope he and PiL continue to seek those kinds of answers.
