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Take all the popular music of the 1970's, and roll it up into
one neat little package… improve it with better sounds and
drumbeats… stir it up a bit, throw in some silly lyrics…
and you get Scissor Sisters! This record makes me cringe
inside, because I like it so much. And I tell myself that I shouldn't
like it at all, because it has very little that is common to the
music that I love. But I can't hate it. Here's why:
"Laura" kicks this album off in high fashion, with
an un-hateable energy that simply makes the booty want to move.
It begins the album with the clanging, brilliantly produced
piano that appears on the best tracks found here, and amazingly
well produced drums. The vocals also nicely set up the quality
that you'll find on just about every song; well produced, slightly
dark at certain moments, and richly vibrant at others. The lead
single "Take Your Mama" is hyper-infectious and will
most certainly make you wish that you were at the very moment
in some NYC club dancing your sweet ass off. It is like all
the best parts of the worst years of Elton John all rolled
into one song. Catchy piano licks, brilliant near-disco rhythms,
and thickly harmonized vocals. The Sisters' cover of Pink
Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" is nothing short of
amazing. To take such a dark and timeless song, and set it to
disco beats and delay heavy guitars takes some serious cajones.
It is a brilliantly produced track, filled with captivating
electronics and interesting vocal effects… It simply removes
all the depth and turns the dark, meaningful song into a dance
track. Which is okay if you are a New York City semi-disco party
band.
Pulling out the John Lennon songwriting, and slowing
things down quite a bit on "Mary", the band finally
makes the listener think there is more depth to them than simply
being an amazingly well practiced disco act. Some interesting
saxophone work adds a nice depth to the song, but remains well
within the 70's theme. Moving into the 80's just a bit on "Lovers
In The Backseat", the less good songs of John Astley
jump to my mind. FM synthesis rears its beautiful head, and
the production becomes convoluted and beautiful. The lyrics
on this album are very fascinating, and nowhere more so than
on "Better Luck": "Like a detective without a
case/ I'll magnify what you say and/ test the implications/
it could be you/ or it could be through/ before it even begins/
I'm a fish swimming without fins." There are plenty more
straightforward disco tunes ("Filthy/ Gorgeous"),
and moments that don't make me hate myself for liking this so
much ("Music Is The Victim"). But the telling point,
the time when it all comes full circle, and all the gay cards
come together, is when you realize that the last song on the
record is about Oz. Seriously. We get it. All the other cards
pointed to the gay thing. We didn't need Oz to prove it. But,
it is an awesome song. I hate to admit it…
This is an album of contradictions for me. Love it and hate
it all at once. So for me, it's really all about the piano.
And emulating Elton John. That is when the Scissor Sisters really
put on their shine. The hallmarks on this record are the drumming
and the piano playing… but let us not forget the insidiously
catchy vocal lines and brilliantly written lyrics. The Scissor
Sisters really show off their gay NYC style by dressing in a
very burlesque style Village People/ Steven Tyler
kind of motif. I'm sure the fashion people have a word for it.
I'm not a fashion person, so forgive me. This band has panache,
and I look forward to hearing what they do in the future.
-Embo Blake
Track Listing:
1. Laura
2. Take Your Mama
3. Comfortably Numb
4. Mary
5. Lovers In The Backseat
6. Tits On The Radio
7. Filthy/Gorgeous
8. Music Is The Victim
9. Better Luck
10. It Can't Come Quickly Enough
11. Return To Oz
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